Happy Feet: ¿No song, no love?
by KevinBlu
Summary: My second Happy Feet's fanfiction: A different version of the first movie. What would have happened if Maurice's egg had also been dropped to the snow? What if Gloria was the one who can't sing? This is my answer to these questions.
1. A new generation

**Chapter 1: A new generation**

Every emperor penguin has a song. A special and unique song, called Hearthsong. It's represent what they truly are. It's the sound they hear inside their hearth. It is an extension of their souls, and such as that, if it fits with another song, it means that the singers are destined to be together ... forever.

It's very simple: The heart has feeling, that's feelings became a song, that song blends with the song of your mate turning into a new song, this new song became love… and the love became an egg.

But… what if you don't have a song? Does that mean you'll be alone all your life? That you will never find that someone special?

Although such thing has never happened, it's always a preoccupation of the parents.

After the mating season, females lay their eggs and leave them under the care of their mates, while they travel hundreds of kilometers on foot to reach the ocean. There, they must catch enough fish to regain the weight they lost during the two months of the breeding season (in which they didn't eat anything) and also to feed their chicks when they return.

But males are the ones who have the hardest task of all: They must survive the merciless Antarctic winter without food or shelter, and having to ensure the survival of the egg that their companion had trusted to them. To make the things worse, if the egg touches the ground, the father will only have a few seconds to put it back in the heat of his legs, before his chick suffer serious injuries… or even die.

This winter was especially cold.

There were a lot of preoccupations among the males, because there were stories that the fish scarce and more than one family would not be able to raise their chick. In his mind, the patriarch of Emperor-Land, Noah the Elder, knew this. According to him, if the rumors were true, 2 in 5 chicks would not pass the first month of life. But for a leader, the moral of his men it's more important than the rumors.

"The Great Guin is just proving our faith, my brethren! Stay faithfully to him and sing with all you got and we will endure!" That were the word that he usually used in his speeches.

Besides all these dark thought, there was also a big expectation and happiness between the fathers. All of them were very excited because they were having their first child. One in particular. His name was Memphis and he was one of the best singers of his generation. And his mate, Norma Jean, was not one, but THE best singer and most wanted female of the colony. They just have to wait a few days more, and they would be parents.

Memphis was staring the egg between his legs, smiling, remembering how he ended with Norma Jean.

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)

**A few weeks ago:**

A large group of males were grouped around a female who was singing her Hearthsong and hearing the pretender's songs, seeking for one that fit with her song.

**Female penguin: **_You don't have to be beautiful… To turn me on  
I just your body, baby_

**Pretender 1: **_Hello!_

**Fp: **_From tusk to dawn_

**P1: **_Is it me what you are looking for?_

The female just shook her head and continued walking and singing.

**Fp: **_You don't need experience_

**Pretender 2: **_Take…_

**Fp: **_To turn me up_

**P2: **…_These broken wings!_

She shook her head again.

While this was happening, another group of men were gathered not far from there, waiting for their turn to sing.

The sweet and seductive voice of the female began to reach where they were, as well as the voices of the other males.

"Woao! Maurice, who… who is she?" One of the males asked to his friend.

"Memphis. Are you serious? She is Norma Jean! She was in our class"

"Oh, yeah… I remember her. She was totally beautiful and... Gosh she sings like… like an angel"

"Yeah… Hey Memphis. I know you like her, why don't you sing to her?"

"What? I don't like her!"

"Yes, you do! When we were chicks, you got lost in her gaze frequently. And I'm sure she has feelings for you too"

"How I would like to… Naah, she is totally out of my reach. I should step aside and wait until she finish"

Maurice just stared his friend shocked.

"Memphis, what are you talking about? If any of us has a chance with her, it is you"

"But she did not even notice that guy who song "Broken wings"! How my song…"

"Shut up Memphis" His friend cut "You just need to be more confident, my friend"

"If you are so sure about yourself, why don't you try it?"

"Because I already have someone in sight: Michelle" Answered smiling.

"Oh yes. I remember her too. She also is going to be a tough one. You are going to have a lot of competitor fighting for her"

"Yes, I know, but don't worry. I can handle them. But now what matters are you and Norma Jean"

"Well I think… I could... at least... try"

"That's the spirit! Now go and do what you do best!"

Memphis nodded and started walking in the direction of the sweet voice.

"And be confident! Like a kind of… crazy love skua!" Maurice shouted to him.

"Got it!" Responded Memphis "Wait a minute, what the heck is supposed to mean that!" He told to himself.

He continued walking until he reached the top of a small snow hill. There he saw the most beautiful penguin girl he had ever seen, speaking to a crowd of males who were following her.

"Boys, Boys! Give a chick a chance!" She shouted to them.

"Ok… confidence… crazy love skua"

He cleaned his throat, took a deep breath, closed his eyed, opened his beak and started:

_Weeeeeell, since my baby left me_

_I found a new place to dwell_

He opened one eye a little and saw Norma Jean staring at him in amusement.

_It's down at the end of Lonely Street at_

"_Heartbreak Hotel"_

_And I said "I'm fellin' so lonely, baby_

_I'm fellin' so lonely_

_Oh, I'm fellin' so lonely…_

_**Norma Jean: **so lonely, I could die…_

The Memphis's heart began to beat faster and faster, as he walked toward her. She was answering to his song!

**M: **_Don't have to be rich to be my girl_

Norma Jean also began to approach

**NJ: **_Don't have to be cool to rule my world_

_**M:** You rule my world_

_**NJ: **You're the particular song I'm compatible with_

By this time, they were almost face to face.

**M: **_I just want your extra time_

**M & NJ:** _And your kiss!_

At the end of this last verse, they crossed their beaks as a sign of union and love. The shade of their beaks drew a heart on the snow.

"Why you took so much time? I was afraid that you didn't come and I was forced to choose another male" Norma Jean whispered to Memphis.

"Don't worry Norma Jean. I'm here now… and I'll never go away"

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)

"Hey Memphis!" A voice suddenly pulled him out of his thoughts.

"Maurice?" He said, turning around to see his friend "Hi man! How are you? How did you do with Michelle?"

"Look for yourself!" He replied, pointing to his legs. A big white egg was resting on his feet "And you with Norma Jean?"

"Look for yourself too!" He said, pointing to his legs too. He also had a big white egg, but his egg had a little black dot.

"I told you that you and Norma Jean made a great couple. You worried for nothing!" He said proud "And have you decided names?"

"Well, we didn't have so much time to discuss that, but we decided that if it is a girl, it will be Cecilia and if it is a boy, I have to name it, but I haven't decided yet"

"Well, you better hurry because the chicks are going to hatch in about one or two weeks"

"I'll think of something. And you have decided how his or her name is going to be?"

"Michelle is obsessed that it's going to be a girl, so before she left, she told me that our girl is going to be Gloria"

"It's a lovely name, but if it is a boy?"

"Guin helps me"

Memphis began to laugh, but when he realized that his friend didn't laugh with him; he stopped, looked at him and noticed that Maurice had a very serious face.

"I'm serious, bro" He said with a concerned face.

"LOOK OUT!" A third penguin shouted.

It was a young male that didn't have an egg to look after. He was sledding down a large hill, right in the direction of Memphis and Maurice.

"MOVE AWAY!" He shouted again, but it was too late. He impacted on them, causing both to fall and roll a few feet. The sliding penguin followed his way, without paying much attention to the penguins that had fallen.

"Who in the world was him!" Asked Maurice, getting up and brushing the snow of the feathers

"I don't know" Answer Memphis, standing up too.

They had escaped the incident unharmed, but something was wrong. They could feel it, something just was not right, something ... something was missing.

Their eyes widened and a chill ran down their backs. They looked between their legs... and there was nothing there. Both males looked at each other's eyes with worried faces.

"THE EGG!" Both of them exclaim.

Just a few meters below, the two eggs were lying in the snow. As soon as they saw them, their worst fear was confirmed, they had dropped their eggs… an unforgivable sin.

Without hesitation, they quickly slide on their bellies to where their eggs were. Memphis saw the small black spot in one egg ... his egg. He took it quickly with his beak and put it on his feet. Maurice did the same.

"Easy, little guy. We are ok… we are ok… oh, yeah, we are ok" Memphis said to his egg, breathing heavily.

"Where did that idiot go?" Asked Maurice, after making himself sure that his egg was ok.

"I don't know, Maurice," Replied his friend, very angry "But if I see him again, I'll cut off his beak and I'll open his chest with it!"

"Hey, you two! Come with me, we must group together under the cliff. Noah says that a big storm is coming" A strange voice yelled to them. It was another emperor penguin, but much older than them. He was at the same place where they were before been hit.

"We're coming!" Maurice shouted "Come on Memphis, let's take shelter in the union"

Memphis nodded, both rushed to where the others were gathered.

The Noah's prediction was right. That same night, a big snow storm lashed Emperor-Land. The wind and the snow-fog made impossible to see anything, the temperature dropped 20 degrees in just a few hours. Nevertheless the extreme cold was the least of the concerns in the minds of the two young fathers. The thought that they had almost lost their chicks and maybe that they suffered some damage due the exposure to the freezing snow, was just terrifying. But more terrifying was the fact that they didn't have idea if it had happened or not.

The storm that was unleashed that night lasted one week... one dark and cold week.

When it finished, the morale of the penguins was pretty weak. Females should have arrived by that time, but they didn't. Noah did the best he could to keep his people strong, but he eventually reached a point where he didn't know what to say in his speeches.

After other three day, and still without a clue of the females, the great day had come. After a long and cold winter, the sun finally rose in a cloudless blue sky.

The ice around the coast began to melt, while the glaciers split apart into smaller pieces of floating ice.

The eggs began to hatch. One per one, little fluffy gray birds emerged from them. The frozen valley literally flooded with the squawking of the chicks; and with the voices of their fathers saying "Oh, it's a boy!", "Oh, it's a girl!", "You are the cutest thing I've ever seen", "You got your mama's eyes", "You are just like me!"

However, not everything was happiness. Some males were actually crying, hidden in caves or behind blocks of ice.

It's not easy at all for a person (Or a penguin in this case) to keep in mind that the survival of your child and your own survival depend on the success of your mate. You must suffer cold, hunger, loneliness, uncertainness and many other things, and even so, it's not guarantee the survival of your child. Some young's simply can't stand it.

Their bodies sometimes betray them, forcing them to leave the egg and go to the ocean in search of food. They leave the egg in the rocks, to prevent them to get frozen; but when they return, the only thing they usually find are broken shells left by the skuas.

Although there are very few cases in which by sheer luck (or by divine will of the Great Guin) the egg was safe when the father returned.

Maurice's egg took a while to hatch, worrying him a lot, but eventually began to move and a few minutes later, he/she finally was able to break the shell. He/she quickly jumped on his father's legs in search of warmth. Maurice bowed his neck to get a better view of his offspring.

"Hello my little boy! Welcome to the world" Maurice told to his child with great excitement.

"I am girl!" The chick answered giggling.

"Oh… yeah! Of course you are, I was… just… playing with you" He said nervously.

"You are my daddy?"

"Yes, I am. My name is Maurice, but you call me pa"

"And, who I am, pa?"

"You are Gloria"

"Gloria…" She repeated, smiling "I like it"

He remained in silent, watching his daughter, very proud to have made it, despite the difficulties. Then came an idea came to his mind.

"Hey Gloria, Would you like to meet a friend?"

"What is a… friend?"

Maurice was forgetting that Gloria was just like 5 minutes old.

"Well a friend is someone to share feelings, play together, tell secrets, help each other and things like that" He explained.

Gloria remained silent for a moment, thinking about it.

"It sounds fun!" She said with a big smile

"And it is, sweetheart. Come; let's visit a friend of mine. He has a chick too. Maybe he or she can be your friend. He must be a few steps in that direction, so you can practice your walking too" He said, pointing at the South with his flipper.

"I hope it's a he!" she said, getting out of her father's legs and running towards the direction that his father had pointed.

"Yeah, that's my girl…" He said smiling, but that smile soon vanished "Wait, WHAT! Gloria… come back here... what did you mean with that? Gloria!" He shouted, but she was already out of reach "She has minutes of life and she is already thinking in boys?" He said, sighing and following his daughter "This paternity thing is going to give me headaches"

Memphis was not far at all, he was only about 15 meters from there. Gloria immediately found him; he was the only penguin that was in that direction, at the top of a small hill

"Hi mister!" She said when she was close to him "I'm Gloria, what's your name?"

Memphis had his back to Gloria. He just turned his head slightly to see her, but he didn't say a word. Gloria then noticed and egg which was lying in the snow. Memphis stopped looking at her and directed his gaze to the egg on the floor. His eyes seemed to be ready to burst into tears.

At that time, Maurice appeared. He was about to shout at Memphis to greet him, but became aware of the condition that he was, and also that Memphis' egg was on the snow. That could only mean one thing…

"Memphis? Is everything ok?" He felt stupid after asking that.

"I-I-I don't know… I can't hear anything" He answered, without looking at his friend.

Gloria approached to the egg and pecked it gently with her beak.

"Is it empty?" She asked innocently "Can I have it?"

"Gloria!" Maurice shouted to his daughter.

"It's ok, Maurice…" Memphis sighted "…enjoy it, little girl"

Gloria smiled; in her innocence, she didn't know that she was sitting in front of a death. A child who never was going to know what is life.

Maurice felt very bad for his friend. His egg and Memphis' one had had the same accident. However, only his egg survived. It's… unfair.

"_Why it had to be like this?" _He thought.

"Listen Memphis…" Maurice tried to console his friend "This happen sometimes. It's not your fault"

"Do not try to console me, Maurice" He answered, very sadly, "It's my fault, I know. I was supposed to protect it ... and I failed" He started to cry "How I'll tell this to Norma Jean?"

"Shut up, please!" The little Gloria said causing that her father got angry.

"Gloria, what is wrong with you! Don't you see that he had lost his…?"

"Shhh! Silent! I think I hear something"

After hearing Gloria's word, Memphis' tears stopped. His eyes widened as he approaches to the little female and the egg.

"Really? What is it? Is it moving? Is it talking with you?" He asked frenetically.

"I don't know… I think it is…" She said, resting her head on the eggshell "I think it is mumbling something"

"What is he or she saying!"

Gloria paused to listen carefully to the sounds coming from inside the egg.

"It sounds like a he!" She said smiling "And is saying: Shtop tolkin an le me shtlep… or something like that"

"Shtop tolkin an le me shtlep?" Memphis repeated "Stop talking and let me sleep! He is talking! Maurice he is talking! He wasn't dead! HE WAS JUST SLEEPING!" Memphis shouted, full of excitement. He hugged Maurice tightly and burst on laughing.

"I'm happy… for you… my friend but you are… choking me!"

Meanwhile, with Gloria and the egg:

"Come on! Get out there!" She said to the chick in the egg, having no respond, of course. This caused that Gloria got a bit angry "Ok, this is your last warning: or you get out of there now or I'll get you out" She remained there for a few second, waiting for an answer that didn't come "Ok, you ask for it!"

She raised her head, closed her eyes and gave a very strong peck to the egg, breaking the shell. When she opened her eyes, she found out that her beak as very close to the beak of the creature that lived inside the egg and that was looking at her with his eyes widened. Then she looked his eyes… they weren't normal penguin's eyes. They were not brown like other penguin's eyes, they were blue, a very deep blue. One could easily got lost in that eyes… and that's was exactly what happened to Gloria.

Without knowing why, she remained there, watching that chick's eyes, feeling the boy's breath on her face, the warm of his feather...

She felt something, she didn't know what it was because she was very young, but she felt something.

It was strange, she wanted to take her head out of there, but she couldn't. She was hypnotized by those blue eyes. She began to blush a bit.

After two minutes of awkward silence, the boy was the first in speaking.

"Excuse me, ehm… could you please give me… some space? I think I'm ready to get out"

"Oh, yes... sure" She said, pulling out her head "Sorry" She added shyly.

The boy poked his head through the hole that Gloria had made, and with the strength of his shoulder, he enlarged the hole until it was big enough to pass.

"Don't apologize. I had to get out of there sooner or later, hadn't I?"

"Yeah, I think so"

"And besides, not every day you wake up and found an angel staring at you" He said smiling to Gloria.

"Oh… ehm… I… me?... em ah… tha… kiu" She tried to answer, very blushed.

"Are you ok?" Asked the boy, concerned with the reaction of Gloria.

"Yeah… Yeah!... emhm, thank you… Mr. Mumble"

"Mumble?" He looked very puzzled.

"Yes, because you were mumbling all the time you were in the egg" She answered giggling.

"Mumble, eh?" He remained there, thinking in silence for a few seconds before answering "I like it! So I'm Mumble, but who are you?"

"Oh, I'm Gloria"

"Gloria… lovely name for a lovely penguin" He said, causing Gloria blushed even more "So, Gloria, do you know where is my father?"

"I think it's him" She said, pointing to an adult male penguin that was hugging another and spinning around and shouting of happiness.

"Oh, great…" Mumble said, narrowing his eyes. He walked toward his father and when he was close he shouted to him "DAD!"

The adult immediately stop dancing and approached to the chick.

"My little boy!" He said, hugging the little Mumble tightly "You are okay! Thanks to the Great Guin, I was so worried!"

"Dad, please! You are embarrassing me!" Mumble said, pulling himself out of the hug.

"Oh, sorry… sorry"

"Congratulations Memphis, It's a boy!" Maurice congratulated "So, what is his name?

"I'm Mumble" The chick said.

"Mumble?" Both adults asked.

"Yeah, Mumble. She gave me that name and I like it" He said, pointing to Gloria "Can I be Mumble, pa?"

"Well… I don't know… your mama…"

"Pleaseeeee!" He said, doing the cutest and most heartbreaking face that the world has ever seen.

"What the heck! You know what? You'll be Mumble!" Memphis said, defeated by Mumble's face.

"YEAH!" Both chicks exclaimed.

"Come Gloria, on my feet. We must leave" Maurice said.

"Coming dad!" Gloria said, running toward her father and jumping into his feet.

"You too, Mumble" Mumble started to run toward his father "Watch the beak! Watch the beak! Watch the beak! THE BEAK!" While Mumble was running, he slipped in the ice and hit with his beak the Memphis's… intimacy "The beak… good boy…"

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - )

**Well, this is the beginning of my story XD**

**As you can see, it will be a modified version of the original movie AND ALSO, a deeper view in some aspects of the movie.**

**One of these modifications is that Gloria (in the egg) was also dropped in the ice. This will have consequences in the future.**

**I checked this with a spelling assistant, but perhaps this still has some mistakes on it :/ **

**So I would like you to tell me where they are, so I don't repeat the same mistakes in the future.**


	2. Comeback and discoveries

**Before I start with the chapter two, I want to say something:**

**In all my stories, I like to thank to each reviewer personally (I mean sending a Pm each time he or she review). It's my way to tell them that I appreciate that they took their time to read and also to leave me their opinion. I also do this because when I leave a review, I like to receive a Pm from the author in respond, telling me if he agrees or not with my review.**

**I don't like anonymous reviews because I cannot thank to the reviewer properly and that make me feel really bad :(**

**But I think that at least I can thank you here, so if you read this: Thank you Anonymous Supporter! ^^**

**I'm glad you liked the story. I hope to have you and everyone who review my story here till the end of it ;)**

**Well, now that I said that, let's begin!**

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Chapter 2: Comeback and discoveries.**

All the males, with their chicks in their legs, were gathered at the edge of the territory. It was the limit day. The winter was ending and with the spring approaching, the need for the females to arrive on that day was extreme. Otherwise they simply didn't know what to do. If they stay there, they die. If they go to the ocean and leave their chicks alone, it's very likely that they were going to die. The chicks only can survive two days without the first meal that the females were supposed to give them, and that two days had already past.

Mumble, in his papa's feet, was there too. Actually, they were in the front of the crowd, along with Maurice and Gloria.

"Pa?" He asked.

"Yes Mumble?"

"When they arrive, how will I know which one is my mama?"

"Oh, you'll know. She's got a wiggle in her walk and a giggle in her talk, and when she sings… it darn near breaks your heart" He said dreamily.

"Ja! You say that because you haven't heard Michelle singing" Maurice joked.

Memphis however, didn't get the joke and took it as an offence.

"Norma Jean It's way much better than Michelle!" He said, narrowing his eyes. Maurice didn't like the reply at all.

"Wrong! Michelle is better" He answered.

"Norma Jean!" Memphis shouted.

"Michelle!" Maurice shouted in respond.

"NORMA JEAN!"

"MICHELLE!"

The shameful spectacle attracted the attention of several nearby penguins and their chick. While this was happening, Gloria and Mumble jumped off the feet of their fathers and walked away, but not very far, only a few steps.

"Adult can be so immature sometimes" Gloria said, sighting.

"Yes, I know" Mumble said.

They hadn't noticed it before, because they were on their fathers' feet, but the weather was quite cold that day. Now that they had left their feathered shelter, they were unprotected against the cold wind.

Even as a chick, Mumble (because he was a male) had a thicker skin and a slightly higher resistance to the elements. These were special adaptations that males' penguins have to survive the Antarctic winter alone.

Gloria, however, was a female, so she didn't have those adaptations, making that the cold had a greater effect on her.

She began to shiver and wrapped herself with her flippers, trying to get warm.

"Gloria, are you ok?" Mumble asked, concerned about her.

"Yes… I'm a bit cold, that's all"

"Well, you can… come close to me… if you want" Mumble said, shyly.

Gloria turned her head and stared Mumble's blue eyes in shock. He remained in silent, totally embarrassed and thinking that maybe he shouldn't had said that.

After a few uncomfortable seconds, Gloria began to approach to Mumble slowly. She squeezed her chest against his and rested her head under Mumble's neck.

Mumble hesitated a moment, but he embrace her with one of his flipper and rested his head over hers.

"Better?" He asked, a bit nervous but happy anyways.

"A lot more" Answered Gloria, giggling and just as nervous as Mumble.

While all this was happening, Memphis and Maurice were still in their immature discussion about which mate was better. This was until another male told them to stop and to take a look at their chicks.

Now they were looking at them with huge smiles in their faces

"Look at them, Maurice" Memphis told to his friend "They look so cute together"

"Yes…" He whispered "Hey Memphis, don't you think that maybe… they… you know…"

"I don't know my friend, only time will tell"

Meanwhile, in the other border of the crowd, in the top of a big ice mountain. Noah and his elder's council were reunited, watching the horizon.

"Watcher! Do you see something?" Noah shouted to another penguin that was in a pillar of ice, slightly bigger than the mountain.

"Nothing! And this fog doesn't help!" The penguin responded.

"Ok…" Noah sighted

"So late. What's keeping them?" One of the oldest elder asked to Noah.

"Be patient, my brother… and pray that the Great Guin doesn't test us with a lean season"

"Why, Noah?" Another Elder asked "Have we not all been dutiful?"

After that, a big silence fall upon the council. Noah didn't know what to say. Suddenly, a voice broke that silence

"Wait" The watcher shouted, attracting everyone's attention "I think… I think I see them! I SEE THEM!"

Although that the penguin on the ground couldn't see them; Noah and the Elders, from the top of their altar of ice (and forcing their eyes a bit) were able to see on the horizon several black spots approaching to the territory.

"Thanks to Guin" Noah whispered to himself. He took a very deep breath in order to give the long waited signal "WIVES HO!" He shouted, with all the strength that his old lungs allowed to him.

The echo of Noah's scream spread all over the valley. Some penguins in the crown repeated it until it reached to the penguin in the front.

It's impossible to describe with words the feelings inside penguin's heart when they heard that 2 words. Happiness and fear maybe could describe them.

They were happy, because they finally were going to see their mates again. But also they had fear, because there were possibilities that their mate didn't come back from that trip. During the winter, the death is always a possibility.

But they couldn't just stay there and think about that! They had to, at least, try to find their mates and keep their hopes until the end.

A few seconds after the signal was given, black and white spots began to appear in the horizon. First they were only a few. Later they were like fifty. That fifty soon became hundreds, and those hundreds became thousands!

The males were very excited, they couldn't wait any longer. They began to run, with their chicks on their feet, on the direction of their mates.

Gloria and Mumble also run in the direction of the incomings spots, but without waiting their fathers, who lost them into the crowd. Their father began to shout their names and searched them.

When the crowd of males and the crowd of females met, the confusion got worse. Memphis and Maurice began to get desperate. Maurice was so busy looking the ground, seeking for his daughter, that he accidently hit another penguin.

"Why don't you watch where you…?" Maurice tried to complain, but he was cut by the voice of the other penguin.

"Hi Maurice" Said a female voice. He raised his head and saw his mate, Michelle, with her flippers crossed and a you-are-in-so-much-trouble's face.

"Michelle!" He said, a bit scared of Michelle's face.

"Did you miss something?"

"I… emm… I…" In that moment, he wanted to be swallowed by the earth. But then, a little penguin jumped of Michelle's feet.

"Hi pa!" Gloria said "I found mama!" Michelle began to giggle. Maurice stared at his mate with a puzzled face.

"Oh darling! You have a beautiful worried face. I just love it!" Maurice smiled and embraced his mate and daughter.

Meanwhile, Memphis was still looking for Mumble.

"Mumble! Mumble!" He shouted in every direction, but with no respond "Mumble, where are you?"

"Memphis?" Suddenly a female voice called him from behind. He turned around, forgetting Mumble; to see that that's voice belonged to his beloved mate, Norma Jean.

"Oh mama! Oh mama!"

Both rushed to each other and rubbed their necks (penguin's kiss)

"So…" Norma Jean cut the romantic moment "Where's the baby?"

Memphis immediately remembered that particular details.

"Well, honey, I… I'll find him"

"YOU LOST THE BABY!" Norma Jean said, very angry.

"It's okay! I'll…"

"Memphis!" She cut, still angry.

"Mama?" A little chick called, coming out of the crowd a few meters from them… Mumble

"There you are" Memphis sighted in relief "Norma Jean, this is our son: Mumble"

"Come to mommy!" Norma Jean said, with a big smile in her face.

Mumble obeyed, but instead of just walking toward her, with each step, he clapped his feet against the ice, making a curious tip-tap sound.

"Hey, what's wrong with his feet?" Norma Jean whispered to Memphis, who was as surprised as her.

"I don't know. He didn't do that before" He simply responded.

Mumble finally reached his mother and he hugged her leg.

"Mama!"

"Oh look at you!" She said to Mumble "You are gorgeous!"

"Isn't he, though?" Memphis added "And he is already making females friends" He whispered to his mate

Norma Jean giggled and remained staring to her chick, but soon she remembered something important: the reason why she had been in the ocean the last two months.

"Oh! I almost forget. I've got something for you. Open up!"

Mumble obeyed. He raised his head and opened his beak. Norma Jean ducked a bit, opened her beak and "returned" all that she had caught in the last months inside Mumble's beak, who swallowed it happily.

"I love the way she does that" Memphis said, smiling.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**That night:**

Mumble and his parent were about to sleep, but Memphis asked Mumble to talk in private. They walked away from their resting place, until they reach a small cave, not very far actually.

"Well Mumble, I want you to promise something"

"Sure, pa"

"Promise me that you won't do that again"

"Do what?" He asked, naively.

"That thing with your feet. The thing you did when you met your mother"

"This?" Mumble them did some tap's steps and giggled "But it make me feel happy!"

"I know, I know. But it's just ain't penguin, ok?"

"Ok" Mumble answered, a little depressed because he wouldn't be able to practice his recently discovered dancing talent. Memphis noticed his sadness.

"Hey, but… you can always do it when nobody see you, ok?" Mumble smiled.

"Ok!"

"You promise?"

"I do!"

"That's my boy. Now let get back home, I'm really tired"

They started the way back to their home. The Great Guin was in a very good mood that night. There wasn't wind or snow, the sky was clear and full of stars and the moonlight illuminated the white meadows.

Memphis and Mumble arrived home. Memphis embraced Norma Jean and Mumble got on her feet. That was the first night they spent together, as a family.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Well, that was chapter two.**

**I hope you like it ^^**

**Review and tell me if you like it or you hate it… or a mix of both or… whatever you want to say me XD**

**I can't believe that tell this single scene took me over 2000 words! :/**

**Well, I guess that it's an important scene in the movie and it's important and worthy tell it good.**

I haven't anymore to say, so we'll meet again in the next cap ;)

**Read you soon**


	3. Same destiny, different paths

**Chapter 3: Same destiny, different paths**

For the next four months, the penguin couples go to the ocean and come back for turn, in order to feed their offspring.

One day goes the male, one day the female and so on. The fish scarce, so it was a hard task.

When the chick have four month old, he need much more food that before, so both of the parents have to go on fishing. But they don't leave them alone; they leave them at Penguin Elementary: a kind of school for penguin. There they learn some basic skills like which fish is eatable and which not, how to distinguish a predator, orientation, belly sledding and things like that. But they also learn a very important thing: how to sing.

Not everyone gets a mate during the loving season. The males without mate, if they want, they can become in the Elder's assistants. They are in charge of vigilance of the territory, protection of the council and also the feeding of it. The Elders can't leave the territory to the ocean, they are very important for the colony and the risk to lose them by a leopard seal or some another predator (like orcas) cannot be taken under any circumstance; so they have to be feed by others penguins.

Females that don't have a mate can become, if they want, in teachers for the Penguin Elementary for a season. Although, hypothetically, females with offspring, can become teachers too; they almost never do so, because they have to fish for their chicks and they don't have enough time to teach and fish. They have to choose one, and (obviously) they always chose their child's feeding.

A colony has about 50.000 penguins, and per season, 2.000 couples are formed (sometimes, the couples are formed between invidious of a different generation). That means that per year, 1.000 eggs are laid. Not everyone survive, of course, but still, like 800 chicks born every season.

It's impossible to handle them all together, so they are divide into "schools" of 15 to 40 chicks and a teacher.

This was the first class for Mumble, Gloria and another 18 penguins of their generation.

"Morning class!" An adult female penguin greeted "I'm Miss Viola and I'll be your teacher this season"

"Good morning, Miss Viola!" The class responded.

"Today we begin with the most important lesson you will ever learn at Penguin Elementary. It's one that maybe takes you years to learn. Does anyone know what that is? Anyone? Ehm… How about… you, Seymour?"

"Ehm… fishing?" A little (and a bit fat) penguin in the front answered.

"No… ehm… Mumble?"

"Erhm… our songs?" He answered naively.

"No, that's not what… wait, YES! Exactly! Very good, my boy" Mumble smiled.

"But not any song, Our Heartsong!" Gloria added.

"Correct, Gloria. Now, without our Heartsong, we can't be truly penguin, can we?" The teacher explained "But, my dears, it's not something that I can actually teach you. You have to find it all by yourselves, because it's the voice you hear inside… who YOU truly are"

"Wow!" The class exclaimed.

"Yes… so let's all be very still now. Take a moment and let it come to you" They remain in silence for a few second, until Miss Viola spoke again "Ok kids, who want to give it a shot!"

The crowd of small penguin began to shout

"I got one!"

"Me too!"

"Pick me! Pick me!"

"Not him, me!"

Everyone wanted to be the first to show his or her Hearthsong.

"One at a time! Kids, one at a time" Miss Viola said, trying to calm them down "Ok, let's see… Seymour"

"That's not fair!" Gloria complained "I wanted to be the first"

"Take it easy, Gloria. You are going to have your chance too" Mumble calmed her down.

"Yes… I guess you are right" She said, smiling

Then, the penguin called Seymour started his song.

(In a kind of rude, but still cute child rapper's voice)  
_Don't push me  
'cause I am close to the edge  
I'm trying not to lose my head  
_  
"Lovely Seymour, I liked that one"

"Was nice, but it's not my cup of shrimp" Gloria commented

"Agreed" Mumble replied.

"So now… lets see… Samantha! Show us what you got!"

"Ok, miss" A female chick answered and walked to the front of the class.

_I__still hear your voice  
__when you… sleep next to me.  
I__still__feel your touch  
in my dreams_

"Wow! A bold girl! I like your style" Miss Viola said.

"Too much bold to my taste" Gloria commented.

"I don't know, I like her…" Mumble said, wining a kind of WTF's face from Gloria "I mean the song! Not her!" He quickly defended himself.

"Ok" Gloria said, apparently convinced.

"Well Mumble, how about you? Want to try it?" Mrs. Viola said.

"ME!"

"Yes, come here! Don't be ashamed"

"Ehm… I… ok" He sighed

Mumble walked to the front of the class, and closed his eyes. He stayed there, in silent and without moving for a few second, hearing the music in his heart. But there was something odd with his music.

"Miss Viola?"

"Yes, Mumble?"

"I hear something inside me but… it's sound weird"

"Weird? What do you mean by that?" Miss Viola asked.

"I hear some things but they don't sound like words. They are more like… sounds"

"Sounds?"

"Yeah… and very strange sounds"

"Well Mumble, I don't know what to tell you I… I'm totally puzzled… but I guess that if those sounds are what you hear inside you, you should let them out"

"Ok… let see" Mumble took a very deep breath before starting.

(In a deep, loud and melodious voice)  
_Ooooochi chornie… ochi strashnie  
Ochi guchie… i prikashnie  
Kak deliu ya vas, Kak bayu ya vas!  
Znat videl ya vas, ya nidobry chas!_

The other penguin cheered at Mumble's song. Even some adult had gathered around to hear the song. Gloria clapped her flipper at Mumble's performance. Miss Viola, however, only remained staring at him in amusement, without knowing what to say.

"It was… it was bad, Miss Viola?" Mumble asked, a little worried due the way she looked at him.

"No… not at all… you have a good voice, but… but…" She answered "I haven't heard anything like that before… well, I did but… it's a very rare singing style… I… the only penguins alive that can sing like that are our Patriarch and…"

"Move! Move!" A raspy female voice was heard from behind the small crowd. The owner of ther voice made her way out of it and came in sight. She was quite old, but still she was good looking. Her feather were a bit overgrown, giving her the appearance of been using a kind of fur coat, especially in her neck.

"And she" Miss Viola finished her sentence. The penguin came closer to them "Kid, let me introduce to my teacher: Mrs. Astrakhan"

"Morning, Mrs. Astrakhan!"

"Greetink, kids. Now where is he? Where is he!" Mrs. Astrakhan demanded "Where is the penguin who sank that magnificent sonk!"

"I'm here… Mrs." Mumble said.

"You?" She said curiously, approaching and looking at him more closely "And how do I have to call you?"

"I'm Mumble"

"Mumble?" Mumble nodded "MUMBLE!" She repeated, shocked. Mumble nodded again "It's a joke or what? That's not a name for an opera singer! No! No! No!"

"But it's my name! My girl friend gave it to me and I like it!"

"Girlfriend, huh?" If the Penguins have had eyebrows, Mrs. Astrakhan would have one raised right then; and also a big accusative smile in her face.

"Ye… NO! Not girlfriend!" He exclaimed, blushed. He quickly tried to explain himself better "Girl friend… I mean, a friend who is girl… no… ehm … girlfriend all together, it's not that… ehm… you get it, right?"

"Yeah, yeah, whatever" She said, narrowing her eyes "I guess we can change it later. Come with me now… Mumble"

"But I want to hear my friend's song" He complained.

"Don't worry Mumble. I'll sing it only for you tonight, ok?" She said smiling and winking at him

"Ehm… ok" Mumble responded, following Mrs. Astrakhan "We'll meet where we first met, ok?" He shouted to his friend, who nodded.

They walked away from the class until they reach a strange ice formation. It was a kind of cave but the entrance was very large and wide, with a semi-circular form, and the snow was piled up forming a kind of stage. The properties of ice there make the place ideal for singing porpoise.

"Wow! What is this?" Mumble asked.

"This, my darlink, was my school. But I'm too old for teachink little penguins now. I come here to sink from time to time. I like the acoustic"

"But you don't look so old"

"Aaaaaw! Young's innocence, so cute" She sighed "I summoned here, little… Mumble, to tell you something really important"

"It has to do with my song?"

"Yes, exactly. That style of singink is called Opera"

"Opera?"

"Yes, and it's a very special one"

"Really?" Mrs. Astrakhan nodded.

"I can and Noah can, but no one else can sink it in this colony… better said, no one could until you"

"And what make it so special? I mean, it's just a bunch of strange sounds"

"Only the direct descendants of the original emperor council can sink like that" She said, leaving Mumble surprised "That mean that the blood of the Ancients Elders live within you. You, my boy, are destined to become an Elder of this nation, or even more… who knows? Maybe I'm talkink with our next Patriarch"

"But… but… I can't be that! My parents are not Elders!"

"Guin works in strange ways, little Mumble" She explained "The gift can skip some generations. Some special event in your live must have awakened his interest on you"

"An Elder of the nation…" Mumble sighed "Great!" He shouted, smiling.

"Yes, but there is a price to pay for that" Mumble's smile faded.

"Which… which price?"

"Well, the other may think that you are too young to know this, but that's rubbish. The younger you know, the better. However, do you really want to know?" Mrs. Astrakhan asked, hoping that Mumble would say no.

Mumble hesitated a moment, but he finally answered the opposite thing.

"Yes… I mean, I not sure if I should but… I want to know"

"Ok" She sighed "Like your voice is very unique and special, it's very unlikely that you ever find a sonk that fits with yours… better said, it's impossible. The only sonk that could possibly fit with your sonk, is my sonk" She giggled "And you are very, very young for me"

"And if I pretend that my song is another?"

"You can, yes; but what will result of that won't be love. It would be a lie"

Mumble dropped his gaze and stayed in silent for several seconds.

"So" He finally spoke "I'll be alone… all my life?" Mumble said, a with a clear trace of sadness in his voice

"To be an Elder, some sacrifices must be done" She sighed "But you won't be alone! You will have many Elders companions to share your time"

"But… but… And it's worth of it? My mama told me that before meeting pa, she felt lonely… she felt empty… that he completed her! That they need each other to be happy. Didn't you ever felt that way? You never felt the need of being with someone to be fully you?" He asked innocently, because he still didn't fully understand the things he was saying. He was too young to do so.

"I… I… I never thought about it" Mrs. Astrakhan tried to answer, totally taken by surprise "I guess that all my life I was too busy with the kids and the council to do so. I kind of… got used to it"

"Well, I don't want!"

"Well Mumble, you are completely free to participate in the ritual if you want, but I warn you: don't make you illusions, because you will end up disappointed"

"Ok, I'll keep that in mind but still I… wait… what ritual?"

"I'll tell you when you grow up… better said, your parents will. Now go home, after this news, you maybe need some thinkink time"

"But…"

"It's ok, Mumble. We have plenty of time to discuss it, but for now, we'll leave it there. Go home"

"But the class?"

"Don't worry, I'll speak with Viola. You should speak about this with your parents too, I'm sure they will be delighted"

Mumble sighed deeply then, turning around and walking away, knowing that his audience with Mrs. Astrakhan was over.

Indeed, Mumble's parents were more than just happy for the news, but Mumble skipped the part of "never finding a song" to avoid worrying them.

He was very depressed after the news. He was destined for greatness, to be an Elder or even a Patriarch, he would be respected and beloved by all the inhabitants of Emperor-Land, but also he was destined to spend his life in solitude, serving the Great Guin and never explore the mysteries beyond the territory.

While he was walking toward the hill where he was born, he hoped that Gloria's song could cheer him up a bit. He really needed it.

The shape of a little penguin came in sight when he was at just a few steps of the top. This penguin was making odd noises, like if she was sobbing. Mumble got worried about his friend, so he ran to her side. There he realized that she were crying.

"Gloria…" He said, putting a flipper in her shoulder "Are you… are you ok?"

"OH MUMBLE!" she said, hugging him tightly and crying even more.

"Gloria, calm down. It's ok" He tried to console her "Tell me what happened?"

"I'm a freak Mumble" she shouted, sobbing "I'm a freak!"

"You are what? Who told you that?"

"Seymour… he…"

"Seymour!" He said angrily "He told you that you are freak! Who is he to tell you something like that?"

"But it's true Mumble!"

"Why do say that?" He asked, concerned and puzzled.

"Because this…" She took a deep breath as she was preparing to sing.

She opened the beak, but what came out of there wasn't a song, wasn't a tune, weren't words with rhythm; they weren't even words! It was a shrill chirp, out of tune and awfully sharp. Mumble had to cover his "ears" with his flippers because the sound make them hurt.

"See?" She asked.

"Well… you a kind of…"

"Freak?" She said, about to cry again.

"No, you are just a bit different, that's all!"

"But I can't sing! Without a song, I can't be a penguin"

"Ok, let' see" Mumble said "You've got feathers, a beak, two eyes, two flippers, two short feet and a tail, right?"

"Ehm… yes"

"Then you are a penguin… and I don't care if you sing or not, you'll always be my friend"

A very big smile appeared in Gloria's face.

"Thank you… Happy feet"

"Happy… feet?" He asked, totally puzzled.

"Yeah, is that I saw you doing a strange thing with your feet and ... that name came to my mind"

"Strange thing? This?" He did some Tap's steps.

"Yes! That was it!"

"I like the nickname…I think I will keep it"

"Really?"

"Yeah… but please, don't tell my father that you see me doing this. He don't want me to show it to anyone"

"Why? It's seem funny"

"Want to try it?" He offered

"I don't know if I could"

"Come on! Just put one foot after the other" Mumble started tapping his feet in a simple rhythm. Gloria hesitated a moment, but soon she started to imitate him, and very good.

Mumble noticed this, so he changed the rhythm for a more complicated and faster one. Gloria, however, was able to keep the pace.

"Hey! You are good at this, Gloria!"

"I have a good teacher, that's why" She took a look at the sky, at the moon's position for been more exact "It's late, we should return home now, Mumble"

"Ok, I'll see you tomorrow at school"

"Mumble, I don't think I go to school tomorrow" She said, sadly "The other will…"

"Listen to me: they won't say anything, because if they do, I'll put them into their place. Ok?"

"Ok" She answered, giggling and smiling "Bye"

"Bye, Gloria"

They turned around and started walking towards their respective homes, both very happy. Mumble because he showed his secret talent to his friend, and she had accepted; and Gloria knew that Mumble will we at her side, despite her lack of Heartsong.

At least for now, everything was ok.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Hi everyone!**

**This was chapter 3! I hope you like it!**

**Although I liked what I wrote here, I have the feeling that I could have done it better :/**

**Well, it's too late for that. Review and tell me if you liked… or if you didn't… or whatever you want to tell me ;)**

**P/s: The reason why I made Mumble an opera singer is quite obvious, but I'll explain it anyways:**

**Atticus is a rapper = Seymour (his father) is a rapper.**

**Bo (Boadicea or Odisea, depending the country) is a yodeler = Miss Viola (her mother) is a yodeler.**

**Erik is an opera singer = Mumble… you get me now?**

**If it is not clear enough, I'll explain it trough PM**

**See ya!**


	4. Both or none

**Chapter 4: Both or none**

Five long seasons had passed since the day of birth of Gloria and Mumble's generation.

The scarcity of fish became worse over the years, making that catch three fish in a day was all an achievement. This lack of food caused that the chick's growth was much slower than usual… and unfortunately, some families lost their chicks too.

However, thanks to the grace of the Great Guin (and the exceptional fishing skills of their parents) Gloria, Mumble, Seymour and many others penguin survived their childhood.

Mumble had earned some reputation among his fellow. He was simply the best singer of the generation and one of the wiser of all. His condition of descendant of the Ancient Elders had made him a very respected penguin between the council. But still, he was a very kind guy, with a natural love for the parties and a very caring nature. He secretly had improved his tapping skill, and also he taught some friends to dance too and asked them to call him Mumble Happy Feet. Soon all the colony was aware of this skill and also was calling him like that.

Although Noah didn't like the idea of Mumble practicing this strange act, Mumble had proven more than once that he was loyal to the tradition, so he didn't have anything against him. Actually, he thought that the kid, with a bit of discipline, could be a great leader.

However, Mumble wasn't an ordinary emperor penguin; he had several sequels of his accident as an egg. His fluffy grey baby's feathers didn't fell like everyone's feathers did, they stayed in his body. One time, he tried to pull some of them out, but the only thing he got was making himself bleed a little. So he left them, being fluffy was not a bother for him. Actually, his fluffy feather and his blue eyes made him very popular with the females. But still, he never gave much attention to any of them.

Why he should anyways? He already knew that no matter how much he wanted, he'd never going to find a song that matched with his. Getting closer to girls would only cause pain for him and for them.

He preferred to spend time with his friends, with one specially: Gloria. He didn't know why, but when he was with her, he felt happier.

Gloria's story was a little different from Mumble's one.

Despite of been encouraged by Mumble to stay in the group, she spend most of her school days in the back of the class. When she grew up, she became in a very beautiful penguin, she also improved a little her singing, but not very much. She still wasn't able to sing a single note properly.

After five seasons of efforts and sufferings, of scarcity and uncertainties, they would finally graduate of Penguin Elementary.

There were only a few hours before the celebration started. Mumble and his parents were in a cave, close to the main square, were the celebration was going to take place.

"We are so proud of you, Mumble" Memphis told to his son.

"Thanks pa" Mumble answered.

"I can't believe that my baby is going to graduate. The time passed so fast!" Norma Jean said, hugging her son.

"Ma, I'm not a baby anymore"

"I don't care if you graduate, married, have thousand of chicks or become an Elder or a Patriarch; you will always be my little baby" She said, in her usual caring and maternal voice.

"Soooo…" Memphis said, in his fatherly insinuative voice "Speaking of babies, do you have any girl in mind? After graduation, it will be a short countdown of just two month before the mating season began"

"Pa…" Mumble answered, sadly "You are perfectly aware of my condition. There is no reason for doing so, I'll not get any of them anyways."

"But you don't lose anything trying. Come on, son! Participate on it. Do it for us, ok? "

"Ok…" He sighed "I'll… for you"

"That's my boy" Memphis said, hitting Mumble's shoulders friendly with one of his flipper.

"And… how about Gloria? She seems VERY interested in you" Norma Jean insinuated.

"Mom! Gloria and I… ehm… we are only friends! That's all!" Mumble said nervously and blushing.

"Me and your father were also friend" She insinuated again.

"Drop it, honey. He can't be with her" Memphis commented. Mumble felt a strange feeling growing in his heart when he heard those words, something that he had never felt before, like if those words had insulted him.

"Why not?" He asked.

"Well son… you know why"

"Because she can't sing?" He asked again.

"Well… no… it's just…" He said nervously, but soon he realized that Mumble wasn't believing what he was saying "Mumble, accept it… she is kind of…"

"Kind of what!" Mumble asked upset, almost shouting.

"Don't lift the voice with me!"

"Don't change the subject! She is what!" He shouted to his father.

"She is a freak! Ok? A FREAK!" Memphis yelled in response

"MEMPHIS!" Norma Jean shouted "How can you say that?"

"Honey, it's true. She can't sing, she is always hiding from everyone, she never tried to approach to a male before like normal girls; what is more, she never tried to approach anyone!… actually, she has no friends except for Mumble, and…"

"And what!" Mumble was about to explode in rage, he couldn't believe that his own father was talking like that of his best friend!

"Why this sudden interest in her?" The anger in Mumble suddenly disappeared and was replaced with nervousness. Memphis' eyes widened noticing this "Do you… do you… like her?"

"I… I…" Mumble tried to respond "I don't… but she is my friend"

Unknown to everyone, Gloria was at the entrance of the cave, hidden behind a pillar of ice, hearing the conversation, with a hopeful smile. But this smile faded with the last words of Mumble.

Unlike Mumble, she had changed her feathers appropriately when she got the right age. In the exterior, she was like any other penguin: Black feathers on her back, tail and head; white feathers on her chest and underbelly zone and a beautiful necklace of bright golden feathers.

She decided that there was no reason to continue hiding, so she walked toward Mumble and his family to greet them.

"Hi Mumble! Hi Mr. and Mrs. H!" She greeted as if she just arrived there.

"Oh! Hi Gloria" Mumble responded happily.

"Be welcome, my girl" Norma Jean said.

Memphis, however, was not happy at all. He snorted rudely as soon as he saw Gloria and walked out of the cave.

"Did I say something wrong?" Gloria asked, worried.

"No! Of course not! He just is a bit sick because… he ate some bad fish. That's all!" Mumble lied.

"Oh!, ok. Maybe he should try to drink some squid ink. My mama told me that she used to use that when I was little"

"Yeah… I will tell him later"

Gloria lost herself in Mumble's gaze. Even when were they talking of something so common like squid ink, she couldn't help but staring at those eyes. Those deep blue eyes... they were hypnotizing. To Mumble, something very similar was happening to him.

And they just stood there, motionless, staring at each other, smiling… forgetting that Norma Jean was still there.

"Well kids, I'll leave you alone so you can talk" Norma Jean said giggling, after a minute of silence "I'll go to the square and see if I can find Memphis, ok?"

"Ok, mom" Mumble said.

Before she left, she approached to Mumble and simulate that she was giving him a hug, but what she was really doing was getting close to him to wisher something.

"Maybe your father will never accept it, but I will. Don't listen to what anyone say. Follow your heart, Mumble. It will never fail you" She whispered. After that, she simply walked out of the cave, without saying anything more.

Mumble remained silent, watching his mother walking away, until a certain penguin spoke.

"So, aren't you excited for the graduation?"

"Ehm… me?... yeah! Of course I am"

"I still can believe that Noah let me graduate too!" She said, jumping due the excitement "How did you convince him?"

"Well…"

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

_Kak deliu ya vas! Kak bayu ya vas!  
Zzznat videl ya vaaas… yaaa nidooobrrrryy chaaaaaaas!_

The oldest members of the council were reunited hearing Mumble's song, including Noah. They all clapped politely when he finished his song.

"A magnificent performance, young Mumble! There is no doubt that you could be an Elder in the future" Noah congratulated, approaching to him "I would be proud to have you as my disciple the next season"

"Thanks sir. But now I want you to do your part of the deal" Mumble responded. Noah's smile faded.

"Look Mumble, I know I promise you that if you could prove that you were descendant of the Ancients, I would do that; but is a decision that the council have to make" Another Elder approached to Mumble and Noah "So? What have you decided?" Noah asked to him.

"It's a tie, Noah" The other Elder replied "Half of us agreed, half of us disagreed. The final decision is yours" Noah narrowed his eyes; the other Elder giggled nervously and walked away along with the others members of the council.

"So?" Mumble asked.

"Are you sure about it?" Mumble nodded "Can we discuss it?"

"There is nothing to discuss, sir. Both or none, you decide… now"

"Ok…" Noah sighed "You win. I'll allow Gloria to graduate…"

"And?"

Noah sighed again, rolling his eyes "And I promise that I'll not banish her just because she can't sing. Happy?"

"Oh, yeah!" Mumble said, proudly.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

"… I have my methods" Mumble said.

"Still, was very nice of you. Thank you"

"Anything for my friends"

Why Gloria hated so much that word? Wasn't she supposed to feel happy when somebody told her that she is a friend? So why she didn't? Or was only when that word came from Mumble?

"Hey kids!" An old voice was heard from outside. Soon, an old emperor penguin came in sight "The ceremony is about to start, you better hurry"

"We are coming!" Mumble shouted. The old penguin walked away "Come on Gloria, lets finish with this!"

The graduation of a new generation is a huge and glorious event. After five year under the care of their parents and teachers, the young chicks would finally end being chicks. Although they wouldn't be considered adult until mating season. The word teenager is the closest to this period of months between the graduation and the ritual.

Every penguin school was there. They were like 750 penguins, reunited in the main square of the territory, in front of the Elders' altar. From there, some of their teacher directed to them a few words of congratulation. When the time to close the celebration came, Noah was supposed to say the final words.

Everyone expected him in excitement; he was a rude but quite charismatic leader. He was famous for his short but heart-touching speeches. When he finally climbed up to the altar, everyone remained in silent, waiting for his words.

"Thousand of generation ago…" He began in his usual wise and raspy voice"…our forefathers forsook our wings for flipper. You graduates, going to the sea for the first time, are to reap the benefits of their wise choice" His voice suddenly filled with concern, worrying a bit to his fellow penguin "These are lean and uncertain times. There is danger in every place. Guin seems to have been testing us" His voice came back to his secure tone "But by the power of the ancients penguin wisdoms; we, my brethren, will endure!"

"YEAH!" The crowd cheered, clapping their flippers.

"Stay faithfully to our traditions and true to our ways, and you will always be worthy of this, our brave penguin nation. EXCELSIOR!"

"YA! YA! YA!" The graduates cheered again, shaking their heads up and down.

After the speech, the teacher of the schools leaded the crowd of just graduated to the exit of the territory.

"Ok kids, listen up" Miss Viola said "Continue straight and you will reach the ocean in one or two hours"

"Have all the fun you want and feel free to visit the glacier if you want" Another teacher said.

"But you MUST come back tomorrow before the sun sets, because the adult have to go to the ocean to fish too" A third teacher concluded.

After these last tips, the teachers allowed the student to continue their first pilgrimage to the ocean. Seymour, for some reason, took the front of the crowd and became the leader of the congregation.

As the teacher had said, they reached the shore in about two hours. It wasn't a shore; actually it was a cliff of 10 meters tall! When they reached it, no one wanted to jump of it. Mumble walked to the front to see what was happening.

"Hey Seymour? We are going to swim or what?"

"Very funny, fuzzball. I'm not gonna jump from here!"

"Aaaaawww! Don't tell me that the big Seymour is scared of a bit high fall?" Mumble teased.

"If you're so brave, y' don't you try it?"

"Why should I? Weren't you our 'leader' and…?"

"Mumble look out!" A penguin girl shouted.

Gloria, who was walking toward Mumble, accidently slipped and rolled down. Mumble didn't have time to move, so he was hit. The impact caused him to fall off the cliff, with so many bad luck that he landed on a piece of ice, which was floating in the water, smashing it into pieces and sinking in the ocean.

"Mumble!" Gloria shouted, when she could stand up, but she had no respond.

All penguins hurried to lean out of the ice's edge to observe the water and see if their friend was ok. The water was calm and hadn't got any sign of… of nothing, actually, like if anything had happened.

"MUMBLE!" Gloria shouted again. Her eyes began to tear.

All of them filled with horror when they notice something near the crash-zone. Although faint, it could be distinguish a red stain near the remaining ice fragments.

"Oh, my Guin!" A penguin lady said "Is that… that blood?"

"Oh no… this cannot be!" Another penguin said.

"You!" Seymour angrily yelled to Gloria "You freak! What have you done to our Mumble?"

"It was an accident! I didn't mean to…" Gloria tried to defend herself "He is my best friend!" She started sobbing "I didn't want to hurt him"

"Hurt him? You just killed him! What kind of friend are you?"

"I… I…" Gloria was trying to speak, but her sadness and her tears didn't allow her to do so.

"He felt sorry for you, he approached to you so you wouldn't be alone… and you killed him" He said, scornfully "You are an ungrateful and an embarrassment for the nation"

Gloria couldn't stand it anymore. She burst into tears, while everyone was looking at her as she was the most despicable thing in earth.

But then a voice… a voice that they thought that they didn't going to hear anymore called them from the water.

"Hey guys!" Everyone hurried to lean out of the ice's edge again. Mumble was the one speaking. He was swimming happily in the ocean, without any apparent harm "What are you waiting for? Last one is a rotten egg!" He teased them.

The crowd of penguin slowly began to jump on the water. Not because Mumble had told them to, but as soon as they saw him there, happy in the water, the penguins on the ice felt the need to jump too.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Minutes later, under the water:**

"Mumble!" Gloria called to her friend "Are you ok?"

"Hi Gloria. Yes, don't worry. It just a scratch" He said, showing her his right flipper, which had a red line on it and several feathers dyed with blood "I will survive, but I think that this, in addition to my fluffiness, is going to slow me down in the water"

"Oh Mumble, It's my fault. I almost killed you! Please, forgive me! I didn't want to hurt you, I…"

"Hey, Gloria" Mumble cut "It's ok, I'm fine... and I don't have to forgive you. It was an accident, and accidents just happen, right?"

"I know Mumble, but I was so worried. If something happens to you, I…"

"You are so cute when you are worried" Mumble sighed. The compliment of Mumble took Gloria completely by surprise. She didn't expect that reaction from someone who she had just thrown off a cliff.

"Oh… ahm… really?" She said, nervously.

"Of course. In fact, no only when you are worried, but always"

In his mind, Mumble didn't know what he was doing. Why he was saying that things? He knew that he was destined to be alone. Even if Gloria had a Heartsong, they couldn't be together… So why he still felt the necessity to tell her these things? Was the Great Guin playing with his feelings… again?

Mumble had nothing to lose. If he was going to spend his life in solitude, at least he would be sincere with her best friend.

"Gloria…" He managed to clean his throat and very nervously, he started seeking for the right words in his mind "…all my life I wanted to tell you that… that you are… you are so…"

Just then, Gloria saw behind Mumble, a small school of fish approaching to them. She was enjoying of Mumble's attention more than any of us can even imagine, but she was very hungry too, and her natural instincts kind of betrayed her.

"Fish…" She said without wanting it..

"Yeah, you are so fish" Mumble said.

Gloria knew that she had just ruined her most romantic moment with Mumble so far; there wasn't anything more to do about it. She tried to say something, but once again, her instincts didn't allow her to think in another thing but food, so she decided to satisfies them to prevent another embarrassing moment.

"No. Look! Fish!" She shouted

Mumble turned around and saw the fish school too. Gloria darted toward them and Mumble followed her, along with others penguins whom also saw the fish.

After that, everything became a blur. Penguins and fish swimming everywhere, shouts, screams and laughs.

But in a few seconds, it was ended. The fish school was not very big at all. Gloria didn't catch any, so she began to look for Mumble to see if he had been more luckily than her, but she couldn't find him.

"Mumble! Where are you?" She shouted, but without response.

For some reason, she decided to look down and then, a few meters below, she could distinguish the silhouette of a creature sinking ... an apparently fluffy creature.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**So, chapter 4 is here.**

**I didn't want to make so many changes to the scenes, because they were great; but I also didn't want to write the same that is shown in the film.**

**I hope you like it and read you soon.**


	5. First time

**Chapter 5: First time**

"Mumble! Where are you?" She shouted, but without response.

For some reason, she decided to look down and then, a few meters below, she could distinguish the silhouette of a creature sinking ... an apparently fluffy creature.

"NOOOO!" Gloria yelled, darting toward her friend. She accelerated all that her flipped allowed, but Mumble appeared to be escaping of her, because he started to gain speed to, descending more and more.

Soon, he entered in the darkest part of the ocean, where seen beyond your beak was very difficult. Doing an incredible effort, Gloria was able to reach him. She tried to grab him with her flipper and pulled him up, but when she did, Mumble's body broke apart in a red tide.

"WHAT THE…!" Gloria shouted, noticing that that thing wasn't a body, but thousand of little creatures (krill) that now were walking in her flippers, chest and feet "Go away!" She said, shaking them out of her body.

"Gloria! Gloria!" She heard from behind. It was Mumble, with a fish in his beak.

"Mumble" She exclaimed "Are you ok?"

"Yeah, why shouldn't I, but what are you doing down here?

She, without knowing why, felt stupid due the episode with the krill, so she decided to hide it.

"I dove here to see if I could to catch some fish"

"To catch fish?"

"Yeah! Some of them escaped and hide in the darkness" She lied.

"Oh! And… did you catch one?"

"Nope, not this time. But don't worry, I will"

"Well, I have already ate one, so you can have this"

"Thank you Mumble, but it's yours"

"I want you to have it"

"No Mumble; you caught it, you eat it"

"No,;I caught it, I decide what to do with it. Have it!"

"Listen to me Mumble: I… DON'T… WANT… YOUR STUPID… FI…" She spoke opening widely her beak

When she opened her beak, Mumble took his chance and grabbed Gloria with his flipper, introduced the fish deep inside Gloria's beak, and with his tongue, he forced her to swallow it.

"Mumble… are you… crazy?" She said coughing.

"See? It wasn't so hard. After all, it's not the first time you are feed" He joked.

She stared to him, trying to answer, but she only could mutter some incomprehensible things.

"Well, I'll see you in the party tonight" He said, before swimming away and disappeared into a swarm of penguins, leaving a very flushed Gloria.

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)

**More late that night:**

"The Aurora's Glacier"

It's actually an iceberg of middle height, discovered many generations ago by the Elder Nicholai, one of the first Elder of the nation.

It is called so because once a year, the famous Antarctic Aurora Borealis wraps with light this piece of ice.

For mankind, it's just that: a piece of ice. But, for inhabitants of Emperor-Land it's a very special and spiritual place.

Since it was discovered, this had been the place where the penguins, that just had swam in the ocean for the first time, go to celebrate their last party together before becoming part of the nation.

Like a desire of the Great Guin, the appearance of the aurora always coincides with the special night of the young penguins, creating a magic atmosphere for the occasion. This kind of "rite of passage" is an innocent way to show their singing skills in front of everyone, and also it is said that the aurora is like the Great Guin tells them they are ready to be adults.

Before starting the songs, all the young gather and choose one of their fellows to be in charge of singing the final song.

The night was coming to the end and this year, Mumble was the chosen to be the final singer. All the penguins had already sung their songs and now Mumble was expected to sing his song.

From the shore, a lonely penguin was witnessing the show, but her mind was focused on a special event of that day.

"_Did he try to kiss me or just to feed me?" _Were the thoughts of Gloria_ "Neither of the two, he just wanted to play with me. Surely he has told their friends and now they are laughing of me. How could anyone even imagine that he could consider me as more than friend? Or even a friend?"_

"Hey Gloria! I finally find you!" A voice called her from behind.

"Mumble?" She said, turning around to look at his friend "What are you doing here?"

"Well, it's our special night and if you don't go, it won't be so special" A very big smile appeared in Gloria's face "After all, I need my best friend with me to give my show today" Gloria's smile faded a little. That word again… why she felt so bad when she heard it? WHY!

"But why do you want me? I can't sing"

"True, but you could...erhm… you could…" Mumble thought for a few seconds "I know!" He exclaimed "You could participate in the chorus!"

"What!"

"Yeah! You just have to speak a bit loud and follow a rhythm. Come on! Just follow me: narana na… narana na na"

"I don't know Mumble. I…"

"Please! For me?" He said with puppy eyes.

"Ok! Let see: narana na… narana na na" Gloria repeated

."Very good, now the part two: narana na… narana na na na na"

"Narana na… narana na na na na" Gloria repeated again.

"Perfect! You definitively have improved a lot"

"You… you think so?"

"Of course I do! Now come on, we are a bit late"

Mumble jumped into the water. Gloria hesitated a moment, but she finally jumped in the water, following Mumble, very happy because she finally was going to be able to sing along with him… well, sort of.

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)

**In the glacier:**

Two penguins were having a conversation behind the ice "stage"

"Where is he? Where is he!"

"Calm down Seymour. He will come"

"Don't tell me to calm down! I'm perfectly calm! But lem'me tell you something. But if 'e doesn't come, who gonna sing tonight!"

"That won't be necessary. He will come" He said, trying to comfort his friend "Well, if you need me, I'll be with others" he added, walking to the crowd in the other side.

"Yeah, yeah you're right" He said, breathing deeply and trying to calm down "He'll come, he'll sing and everything gonna be ok, yeah"

He suddenly heard a noise of splashing water.

"Hi Seymour, I'm here! Sorry for the delay" Mumble appeared from behind.

"Mumble! Where have you been, bro?"

"I had to find someone"

"Who dja have to find? Everyone is here already"

"Not everyone, one was left"

"Wacha talking about? We're all here ... well, except fo da freak"

Mumble narrowed his eyes, a bit angry.

"Well that freak is called Gloria. She is my friend and who I was looking for!"

"WHAT! Why?"

"Because I wanted her here. She is part of our class too. Now, if you excuse me, I've a song to sing" He said, moving Seymour with a flipper.

"Oh! Sher. Go get'em Mumble"

The chorus began to sing at that time. This chorus consisted of 20 penguins (and Gloria) located between the stage and the crowd.

**Chorus: **_Narana na… narana na na  
Narana na… narana na na na na_

_Narana na… narana na na  
Narana na… narana na na na na_

In that moment, Mumble appeared on stage, causing everyone to shout in excitement.

**Mumble: **_We're leaving together_

The crowd cheered even more  
_  
but still it's farewell  
And maybe we'll come back  
to earth, who can tell?  
I guess there is no one to blame  
We're leaving ground! (Leaving ground!)  
Will things ever be the same again…?_

**Mumble and the chorus:**___It's the final countdown!  
The final countdown_

_Ooh oh!_

**Mumble:** _We're heading for Venus (Venus!)_

_And still we stand tall_

'_cause maybe they've seen us_

_and welcome us all (Yeah!)_

_So many light years to go_

_and things to be found! (Things to be found!)_

_I'm sure that we'll all miss her so…_

_It's the final countdown!_

_The final countdown!_

_Ooh oh_

**Mumble and the Chorus:** _It's the final countdown!_

_The final countdown!_

_The final countdown! (The final countdown!)_

_Ooh_

_It's the final countdown!_

(**Mumble alone: **_We are leaving together!_)

_The final countdown_

**Chorus: **_Narana na… narana na na  
Narana na… narana na na na na  
_  
As soon as the song was finished, the public exploded in screams, whistles and cheers. They run to the stage wanting to congratulate Mumble personally, but mixing with the chorus' members in the progress.

Mumble jumped off the stage and, after greeting several penguins, began to search his friend in the crowd.

"Gloria? Gloria!" He shouted, raising his head a bit upon the sea of penguins "Gloria where are you?"

Suddenly, he felt a sudden stabbing pain behind the neck. He jumped, due to shock, and landed on his belly.

"Surprise!" Said a very familiar voice.

"Gloria?" He asked. He stood up and looked back to check that, indeed, was Gloria "Why did you do that? You almost killed me!"

"Oh! Sorry Mumble, but I couldn't resist! You looked so cute and I…" Mumble's eyes widened at this. Gloria quickly realized the compliment she had accidentally given to Mumble "... I mean cute ... as innocent… as an easy prey for jokes" She added nervously.

"Oh… yeah, of course… erhm… Well, would you like to sleep with me?"

"WHAT?" she exclaimed, surprised by the Mumble's bold proposition.

"Yeah, the night is going to be really cold, so we have decided that we are going to sleep all together. Do you want to come with me… I mean… with us?"

"Oh, that kind of… I thought that you…" When she realized what she was about to say, she blushed so much that you could see her blush from kilometers. Luckily for her, it was night, so it wasn't so evident "Doesn't matter. Yeah… sure, I'll sleep…"

"Great! Follow me, its bit late and tomorrow we have a long walk to home"

Although the penguins, when they make this travel to Aurora's Glacier are technically (and physically) adults, they still have some of the instincts of babies. One of these instincts is "When the temperature drops, is time to come close and keep warm" It didn't matter if Gloria could sing or not, she was a penguin and every penguin is good when the time to face the cold night comes.

An hour after Mumble's song, the wind began to accelerate and the temperature dropped several degrees. About 5 or 6 penguin's schools were on the glacier that night, each one with about 20 members. All of them gathered close to each other in the center of the glacier, forming a kind of circle. The females were placed in the center of the circle, and the males were located on the edges of the circle. **(The reasons for this are explained in Chapter 2) **Gloria located herself with the girls and Mumble with the males but still behind her.

When the wind accelerated again and began to snow, the penguins came even closer to each other. Mumble and Gloria blushed when the fluffy feather of Mumble's chest make contact with Gloria's back.

The freezing wind and the snow mixed forming a kind of blizzard, which seemed that would last all night. Although all the penguins were there (and quite close to each other) they still felt the cold in their skin.

"Gloria, are you ok? Do you have cold?" Mumble asked, trying to dissimulate his blush but also a bit concerned.

"No, I'm fine" She answered, but it wasn't true. In fact, she was very cold. Although she was trying to hide it, her body was shaking due to the freezing weather. This didn't pass unnoticed by Mumble.

"No, you are not" He whispered to her. He suddenly hugged her from behind with his flippers and brought her body closer to his body, resting his head in Gloria's shoulder.

He didn't do that in a kind of insinuative way or something like that. He really did it in order to keep them warm for the night, and Gloria knew it, so she relaxed… and enjoyed a little of the contact. They closed their eyes and prepared themselves for the night.

(- - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)

**So, this was the chapter 5 ^^**

**I had to (literally) throw the entire film plot through the window XD but I think that I did it just fine :)**

**Chapter 6 is already under construction so I think I won't take long to publish it.**

**Again, thanks to the reviewer and specially you, Anonymous Supporter, due I can't talk to you like I do with the others.**

**Read you soon**

**P/s: Maybe the title gave you a false impression **

"**First time" in a romantic fic, sounds a little bad, doesn't it? But remember that this story is rated T, so there isn't going to be stuff like that ;)… or maybe…**


	6. Close encounter

**Hello, my fishy readers! I'm here again!**

**I changed my photo XD I… wait… Mumble! Are you shouting to Blu again? Guy, please stop it! I already told you: both of you are awesome! Stop fighting, please!**

**(Kevin sighs) Birds…**

**Well, coming back to the fic: this cap only going to involve a special scene during the movie, but I make it a bit longer and added some things.**

**And also bring us some beloved characters**

**Happy reading ^^**

**Chapter 6: Close encounter**

"Morning Mumble" Gloria whispered, without opening her eyes. Some second passed and she had no respond, so she began to worry "Mumble?" She asked, opening his eyes.

She horrified when she found out that in front of her there wasn't anyone. She turned her head over her shoulder and realized that behind her there wasn't anyone too. Actually, there wasn't any penguin in the entire glacier, except for her. She was alone.

"Mumble? Boys? Please someone!" She began to panic "If this is a kind of joke, please stop it! It is not funny" She began to tear. She couldn't believe it: everyone, including Mumble, had abandoned her! "How could I be so stupid!" She said to herself sobbing.

Her mind was a rollercoaster of emotions. From sadness (because she had been abandoned by her fellow penguin) to rage with herself for having thought that she would be accepted.

But what hurt her the most was that her best friend, Mumble, had also left her alone in that distant place.

Her young heart could not stand it anymore. She was about to throw herself on the floor and burst into tears.

"Oh Gloria, you are awake. I brought us some fish, it's not much but it's all I could caught" A voice said to her from behind. A very familiar voice.

"Mumble?" She hopefully said. She turned around and realized that, indeed, the voice belonged to Mumble, who had some fish in his beak "Mumble!" She shouted, running toward him with a very big smile in her face, bus still with some tears in her eyes.

"Oh my Guin!" He said when he saw the tears in Gloria's face. He quickly dropped the fish he had and slide on his belly to where Gloria was "Gloria! Are you crying? Are you… are you ok? What happened?" Suddenly his voice filled with anger "Who did this to you? Was Seymour again! I will make him pay for this!"

"No Mumble, stop!" Gloria stopped him "Nobody did me anything, I just… I… I just thought that everyone has abandoned me… and except for you, everyone did" Mumble stared at her puzzled.

"Abandoned you? Nobody did that!" He said

"What!"

"Yeah, remember that we have to come back home before the sun hide today?"

"Yes, but what have to do with this?"

"Well, take a look by yourself"

Gloria then looked at the sky and realized that the sun was in the opposite side that it should, that only could mean that it wasn't morning, but late afternoon.

"You overslept" Mumble explained "I didn't want to wake you up, so we waited for you as long as we could, but at the end, they left because if they didn't, they wouldn't reach Emperor-Land on time"

If Gloria hadn't had feather, her face would be as red as the beak of a Rockhopper penguin. She covered her face with her flippers, totally ashamed.

"Oh Gosh! I'm sorry! I feel so embarrassed" She said.

"Hey, its ok" Mumble said, moving away Gloria's flipper from her face "It can happen to anyone, right?"

"Thank you" She responded, smiling. But then she realized something and a spark of hope lighted her heart "But… why didn't you go too?"

"Me?... well… I… I…" He began to stutter but he stopped "I thought that It wouldn't be nice to leave you alone. You are my friend, after all" He was lying, but Gloria didn't notice it.

Gloria was thinking another thing. That stupid word again! What was the strange feeling that she felt every time she heard it!

"Ah… ok… thanks" She answered, a bit disappointed.

"You're welcome" Mumble responded "Well, since we are very late and we both going to have a lot of problems when we return to the territory a day later than the rest, without mention that by this time they maybe had invented one thousand rumors about us; how about if we enjoy a nice dinner together?" Gloria's eyes widened "Only you and me"

"Really?"

"Of course! We eat something, we rest here and tomorrow morning we return to Emperor-Land. What do you say?"

"IT SOUNDS GRE…!" She said screaming, but stopped realizing that maybe she was very expressive "I mean… sounds great, Mumble"

"Great! I brought us some silver fish and also some…" But when he turned to where the fish were, there was nothing. Then he heard a strange squawk from above, he looked at the sky and saw several skuas flying away. He could also distinguish the shape of a fish in the beaks of some of the skuas. "Oh come on! You have to be kidding me! I spent all the day catching those fish!" He yelled, furiously "GUIN! What did I do to you? It's because I'm fluffy? It's that?"

"Mumble, calm down" Gloria told him. Mumble calmed a bit, but still was angry with himself.

"Guin hates me, Gloria"

"Maybe, but look at the good side!" She said, leaving Mumble puzzled "Instead of just having dinner we can go for a swim and catch more fish together. Maybe later we can go for a walk in this strange and new shores, explore a bit and also we can sleep together ag…" She was hurrying too much "I mean! We can found a safer place to rest, like a cave or something"

"Yeah… wait, YEAH! That's a great idea!" Mumble said, smiling "Ok, shall we?"

"After you"

"I insist, ladies first"

"Ok" They walked to the border of the ice and jumped into the water.

They started looking for fish, swimming deep, between the ice rocks and exploring the underwater caves… but they didn't find anyone. The fish scarcity was serious. By that time of the year, when the just graduates go to the sea, it should have been full of fish. They tried going more and more far from the glacier, in the opposite direction of their home.

After two hours of searching, and not finding anything, they went to the surface and got into a piece of floating ice (rather small) to rest a bit.

"This is useless" Mumble commented, feeling defeated "I should had been more careful, that way I hadn't lost our fish… I'm sorry Gloria. Now we are hungry and very far away of our home"

"Please Mumble, don't blame yourself so much. It's not your fault" Gloria said "Things happen due a reason"

"A reason? Really?" He asked curiously "Well, explain me: Which could be the reason for having us here swimming like crazies?"

"Well… I don't know but… at least… we are… with each other" She shyly said "Right?"

"Oh… ehm… right… yeah we… are together… alone… jeje" He nervously answered.

"Mumble?" Gloria asked, remembering something of the past day "What you was going to tell me yesterday? Before the whole fish business"

All the self confidence that Mumble had felt the day before had banished. He felt cornered by the question. He couldn't lie, Gloria would notice it. His only option was telling her the truth.

"Gloria, since I met you I… I feel happy only when you are close to me I… I don't care if you…" He tried to clean his throat to speak properly, but he was too nervous "What I'm trying to say you is that I… I kind of… I… you are… you are so… so…" At that time, the piece of ice in which they were shook violently. Mumble gabbed Gloria with his flippers because she almost fall due the impact.

"What… what was that?" She whispered to him, full of fear, pressing her head against Mumble's chest.

"I don't know" He answered, scanning the water's surface "Maybe it was… a… ag… ag…" His voice suddenly turned off, worrying Gloria a lot.

"Mumble?" She said, looking up to his face. It was frozen in a expression of pure terror. His beak open, his eyes were widened and his pupils looking straight to something "What's happen? What are you looking…?" And then she realized the why.

Not far from their piece of ice, coming at an incredible speed toward them swimming in the water and only showing his head were one the greatest beast of Antarctica, the most feared predator of the shores, the nightmare of penguins, the face of death itself! There was a…

"LEOPARD SEAL!" Mumble shouted, jumping into the water with Gloria. The beast crashed against the ice, giving the penguin some time.

Gloria was about to swim in the direction of her home, but Mumble stopped her.

"No that way! It's open sea, he will clean his teeth with our bones before we reach the coast!"

"So where we going to go!" Then, the seal freed himself from the ice and roared.

"To the ice caves! NOW!" Mumble screamed.

They rushed into the cave through a small hole in the ice. Unfortunately, the ice was very thin, so the seal had no problem in breaking thought it.

"Swim, Gloria, swim!" Mumble shouted "Don't look back, just SWIM!"

It's was pretty dark, so they couldn't see very well to where they were going. But they knew something: wherever they were going, it would be better than staying with the seal. They swam across submarine chambers and tunnel, entering more and more to the glacier, never looking back. But still they knew that the beast was still behind them. They could hear his roaring and his flippers stirring the water.

Mumble started to feel his flippers a bit heavy and his chest began to hurt. He was running out of time! The air of his lungs would only allowed to stay three minutes more in the water. He had to think something, and quickly. To make the things worst, he knew that Gloria couldn't hold her breath as long as him, so she had even less time.

"_Stupid sex's differences!"_ Mumble thought.

But then, the hope embodied in a small area with very thin ice, appeared before him; just a few meters above them. If they gained enough speed to break it, they would be safe.

In the water, the leopard seal is a perfect and sophisticated killing machine ... but in land is almost inoffensive.

"Mumble… I don't feel very… good" Gloria said. After these words, she suddenly closed her eyed and stopped flapping. She passed out due the lack of oxygen in her system, but she still could be save.

Instead of panicking, Mumble's mind worked fast and got to a solution. He positioned his body under the inert Gloria's one and, doing all the strength he could with his legs and flippers, he crashed against the ice floor with enough force to pass through it.

Gloria landed safely in the snow, some meter away; but when Mumble was in the air, the leopard seal jumped out of the water too from the hole in the ice (enlarging it a lot more) and caught Mumble in the air, dragging him back into the water.

As soon as Mumble felt the cold water in his feathers, he reacted; he began to shake violently, trying to free himself from the deadly creature. And when he thought that his time had arrived… zas… he was free. But, he felt too that part of him that the seal was biting, was no longer attached to your body.

"_Oh no!" _He thought "_I LOST A LEG!" _But he didn't stop to cry there. He wanted to live!

He rushed as fast as he could outside the water, finding five little penguin gathered around Gloria…. and also that he had both legs. He only had lost some feather of his tail, which had been sliced in two. He bowed his neck to see more closely the zone of the wound.

"_It was close" _He thought, sighing in relief.

"Hey amigo!" One the penguin said "You da bomba!"

"Yeah!" Every of them shouted.

"But tell me… what did you do with this chica to leave her so tired?" The first of them spoke again, in an insinuative voice.

"Isn't a bit early for that?" Another of them added.

"Yeah, the loving season is in three month" A third one said.

"But, my friends, Tallboy here is like Ramon" The first of them spoke once again "The chicas simply cannot wait until the season to have us!"

"Si, como no!" The second penguin said "You have never had a single chica in your life Ramon. Not even a sister!"

The first penguin, called Ramon, dropped his gaze to the floor, sobbing.

"And you always have to remember me that, Nestor" He sadly said.

"Hay hombre, lo siento. I didn't want to hurt you"

"But you did!" Ramon said, crying a bit "I need a hug!" The little penguin gathered around his friend and hugged him.

While this whole scene was happening, Mumble heard soft moans coming from Gloria, so he walked to her side.

"Gloria? Gloria are you… ok?"

"Yes…" She answered, opening her eyes lazily "Are we dead… Mumble"

"No, but now I'm convinced of something: Guin really hates me" He said, smiling; Gloria giggled "Can you move?"

"I think so… but I feel so tired…"

"Don't worry, I'll help you"

Mumble used his flippers to help Gloria to stand up and rested her head in his.

"So… where we… go now?" She asked.

"We have to find you a place to rest" Mumble answered "Maybe a cave or something like that"

"We can help with that!" Ramon said "In our lands, there are many caves that you and your chica can use to… your things" He said, insinuating the last part. Mumble and Gloria blushed very hard after this "Is not far from here, follow Ramon!"

Mumble looked at Gloria, seeking for an answer. He wasn't very sure of trusting his maybe injured friend to a complete gang of strange penguins that he had just met. Although they were very nice, the appearance something can hide another thing… and not always is a good one.

"What do you think Gloria?" Mumble asked, whispering.

"Well… I guess we… don't have… many options" Gloria said. Mumble just nodded.

"Great! But I warn you: tonight we are going to party!" Ramon shouted

"In my way! In your way! In our way! A LA AMIGOS' WAY! YEAH!" The five of them cheered together.

"To Adelie-Land, mis amigos!" Ramon shouted again.

After saying this, "Los Amigos" set their course to Adelie-Land, and Mumble, with Gloria in his shoulder, followed them.


	7. Party a la Amigos' way

**NOTE: It is impossible to talk about The Amigos and a party in the same cap without a song in Spanish, so there is going to be one (or maybe two… or three) in this cap, chosen due specific(s) reason(s) that you will have to guess.**

**If you don't like or don't know Spanish, DO NOT READ THIS CAP!**

**Without anything more to said, let's begin! ^_^**

**Chapter 7: Party a la Amigos' way**

Mumble and Gloria had arrived to Adelie-Land. Was a completely different place to Emperor-Land. Instead of ice, the land was covered with rock and a light snow. It was a huge territory and It had it all: Enough place to live, mountains in the sides to take shelter, rock for constructing nests and the sea was just at a ten minutes walking.

The penguin whom lived there were a bit different from the ones whom lived in emperor penguin. They were half of the tall and also almost completely black. Only their lower-belly was white.

All of them spoke two languages: Penguinish and another which some of them called "Spanish" Ramon told Mumble that that's language was introduced to their nation by some "viejos locos" who had traveled to a distant shore; very, very far from Antarctica. They learned it from the birds that lived there. When they came back, they taught it to their fellow and from then, it form part of their lives. What is more, they use it more than the Penguinish.

Ramon taught Mumble several words in this new language. He promised to teach him more the next day.

Ramon also had showed Mumble one empty cave, near the center of the territory, and he and Gloria decided to settle there for the night. Gloria was too weak to sleep in the usual standing position, so she laid on her belly on a rock inside the cave. Two female adelies offered themselves to look after Gloria.

Mumble and Ramon were talking outside the cave; the rest of the Amigos had disappeared. According to Ramon, they were "setting the mood" for the party that they were planning to throw soon.

Mumble had told Ramon the whole adventure that he and Gloria had had, and also that they knew each other since chicks, and the detail that she couldn't sing and others things of their lives; which made Ramon reached a conclusion.

"So you love her?" Ramon asked.

"WHAT? No! She is only my friend!" Mumble answered nervously.

"Amigo, you cannot lie to Ramon. You almost die for her, that's something that no cualquier amigo does"

Mumble didn't know what to say. He couldn't deny it anymore, even a complete strange that he had just met could guess it. He was way too easy to read.

"I guess I… kind of… like her" He answered shyly, lowering his blushed face.

"Well fluffy, if you do, why don't you tell her?"

"Because the tradition of our nation says that you have to sing to find a mate… and she can't! Even if I tell her, the Elder don't going to let us being together"

Instead of answering, Ramon began to sing:

_Prohibido nuestro amor, ¿Y qué?  
Los dos saben el… porque _

_Peor es no saber tener… por un amor  
¡En carne viva el corazón!_

Ramon ended his song facing Mumble with a big smile in his face. On the other hand, Mumble just stared to him with a puzzled face.

"That sounded good but… I didn't understand anything at all" He finally said.

The smile on Ramon's face disappeared. He slapped himself with his flipper.

"I said:

_Prohibited our love, so what?  
We both know the... why_

_Worst it is not know what is to have… due a love  
In raw flesh the heart"_

Again, Ramon ended his song facing Mumble with a smile in his face.

"That sounded… weird" Mumble said. By that time, Ramon was a little upset.

"I KNOW IT'S SOUNDED WEIRD! That why it has to be sing in Spanish!" He shouted, but immediately he calm down "Mira, forget the song. Tell me, what are you going to do with her?"

"I don't know. I like her, but how can I know if I really love her if we can't sing with each other? What is more, how can I know if she loves me? Maybe she has another male already"

"So?" Ramon insisted, waiting a specific respond from Mumble. But he received a very different one.

"Well, you know what they said: If you love something, let it go"

Ramon couldn't believe what he was hearing. They remained in silence for a few second before he spoke.

"¡Es lo más tonto que jamás he escuchado! (It is the most stupid thing I have ever heard!)" Ramon said "If you love something, you don't let it go, YOU FIGHT FOR IT!" Ramon ended yelling to Mumble.

"I… I… I…" Mumble tried to answer, shocked due Ramon's reaction

"It's ok Mumbly… it's ok. I am sorry" Ramon apologized "I am a bit sensible with this kind of asuntos con chicas" He added "I'm going to see how the others are going" He concluded, walking away.

Mumble was deep in his thought. Those words that Ramon had said echoed in every corner of your head.

"If you love something… you fight for it…" He whispered to himself.

"Mumble?" A weak voice called him.

"Gloria?" Mumble said, turning back and confirming his theory "Are you feeling better?"

"A lot more… thanks to you" She answered smiling.

"She is a stubborn one, Mr Tallboy" One of the female adelies said "She insisted that she wanted to get up"

"We gotta go now" The other added

"Bye, mi niña!" Both of them shouted, walking away with her companion.

"Ok, girls. See ya!" Gloria shouted in respond.

After that, she and Mumble remained in silence… a very awkward silence. The Ramon's words were still in the head of the young penguin.

"I like this place" Mumble said, trying to break the silence "What do you think about it?"

"Well, Mumble… I don't know. I had been in a cave all the day" She said, giggling.

"Right… right" Mumble said, realizing that his question was quite obvious "I heard that those… 'Amigos' are planning a party ehm… I thought that, like we are here… maybe we should go too"

"Yeah, I thought about it too" She said "You… want to go?"

"I don't know... you want to go?"

"If you go, I will"

"I'll go if you want to"

"Well, I…"

"AAAAAH! SO MANY QUESTIONS! It's driving me loco! If you can't decided, I will!" A very familiar voice yelled to them.

Before they could turn around to see who was (It wasn't necessary though) Ramon appeared from behind, with a lot of adelies with him and started pushing them toward the center of a big crowd of penguin.

"Wait Ramon! What are you doing?" Mumble asked.

"Where are you taking us?" Gloria asked.

"We are going to the party!" He shouted, accompanied with a 'YEAH!' cheered of the others penguin with him. They stopped near the center "And remember: each time you say it, shout with all you got and also raise your flippers"

"Each time we say what?"

"_OLE!_" The huge crowd of penguin suddenly shouted doing what Ramon had said.

"That" He concluded.

Then Mumble and Gloria noticed a female adelie who was singing in the middle of a kind of know stage.

_Por las brisas, por el viento, por las risas que he causado__  
__Yo agradezco lo que pienso, lo que admiro y lo que hago.__  
__Por la gran naturaleza, de mi boca lo sagrado.__  
__Por la voz que me alimenta que la escribo y que la cantoooo…!_

_Somos una canción, en alta vibración__  
__Damos buena energía al universo__  
__Somos una canción, multigeneracion__  
__Le damos la importancia… al sentimiento__  
__Somos hermanos y todos unidos__  
__Somos semillas del viento (¡OLE!)_

_Todos cantamos (¡OLE!)__  
__Viva la Vida (¡OLE!)__  
__Por la familia (¡OLE!)__  
__Y por los amigos (¡OLE!)  
__  
__La música es un (¡OLE!)__  
__A nuestra tierra (¡OLE!)__  
__Por el planeta (¡OLE!)__  
__Y por la paz del mundo (¡OLE!)_

"OLE!" Mumble shouted, laughing.

"You know what that Word mean?" Gloria asked.

"No, but its funny!"

"Come on, Tallboy! Try it!" Ramon told Mumble

"Ok…"

_**Mumble: **__Todos cantamos (¡OLE!)__  
__Viva la Vida (¡OLE!)__  
__Por la familia (¡OLE!)__  
__Y por los amigos (¡OLE!)  
__  
__La música es un (¡OLE!)__  
__A nuestra tierra (¡OLE!)__  
__Por el planeta (¡OLE!)__  
__Y por la paz del mundo (¡OLE!)_

_OOOOOOOLEEEEEE!_

Everyone cheered and clapped to this new singer, even the girl who was singing that song at first.

"Hmm, you have some talent, Mumble" Ramon commented. Then, his brain came up with an idea "Mumble, come close. I need to tell you something"

"What is it?" Mumble asked, approaching to Ramon.

"Get down a little, I want to tell you something" Mumble did so and Ramon whispered something to him.

"WHAT!" Mumble exclaimed, very blushed "I'm not going to sing that!"

"Come on, Fluffy! It's a very popular song here!"

"It's a totally perverted song! I can't sing it, less in front of Gloria"

"Well, dedicate it to her"

"Are you crazy! I'm not going to do that!"

"Relajese, socio! She won't understand a single word" Ramon said "And also, think about it like a kind of training. You tell her this in Spanish first and maybe in the future you can say it to her properly. ¿Que dices? Eh?"

Mumble thought about it for a few seconds before answering.

"Ok…" He sighed "I guess that… a single song... Is not going to hurt anyone"

"Very well then! Follow Ramon!"

Ramon leaded Mumble to the stage, spoke to some penguin who were in charge of the show, and left Mumble alone in the stage.

"Hey amigos, listen up!" Ramon shouted "Tallboy here is going to sing us a love song, BUT it's dedicated specially to his 'friend'" Gloria understood that by 'friends', he was referring to her

Mumble gulped, cleaned his throat and started.

_**Mumble: **Siento el calor de toda tu piel… en mi cuerpo, otra vez_

EVERYONE directed their attention to Mumble and cheered as soon as they heard him. His voice was amazing! Even in that language.

**M: **E_strella fugaz, enciende mi sed… misteriosa mujer.__  
__Con tu amor sensual, ¿cuánto me das?  
__H__az que mi sueño sea una verdad._

Mumble raised his flipped and pointed Gloria

**M:** D_ame tu alma hoy… haz el ritual._

Gloria blushed hardly

**M: **_L__levame al mundo donde… pueda soñar.  
_(Raising his voice a little)_  
¡uhh...! __debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.__  
__Voy a buscar una señal, una canción.__  
__¡uhh...! debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.  
Solo el amor que tu me das, me ayudará._

He made a pause before continuing.

**M: **_Al amanecer tu imagen se va, misteriosa mujer.__  
__dejaste en mí… lujuria total… hermosa y sensual._  
_  
Corazón sin dios, dame un lugar.__  
__en ese mundo tibio, casi irreal.  
__  
_(Raising his voice again)_  
__¡uhh...! __debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.__  
__voy a buscar una señal, una canción.__  
__¡uhh...! debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.__  
__solo el amor que tú me das, me ayudara… aaaaaaaa... aaaaah!_

Mumble made another pause before continuing, this time raising his voice a lot.

_¡Tu presencia marcó en mi vida el amor!... lo sé.__  
__Es difícil pensar en vivir ya sin vos.  
_  
(Coming back to his normal singing voice)_  
__Corazón sin dios, dame un lugar.__  
__en ese mundo tibio, casi irreal._

Now, the entire crowd started singing along with Him.

**Mumble and the Adelies:  
**_¡uhh...! __Debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.__  
__Voy a buscar una señal, una canción.__  
__¡uhh...! Debo saber si en verdad… en algún lado estás.__  
__Solo el amor que tú me das, me ayudara… aaaaaaaa... aaaaah!_

The song was finished and the crowd literally exploded into cheered, whistles and shouts.

Mumble stared at Gloria, breathing heavily due the effort he had to make to sing in that strange language. She was very, VERY blushed but still smiling and giggling.

"I said it once and I say it again: YOU DA BOMBA!" Ramon congratulated Mumble.

"Thanks" He said, still breathing heavily "Phew! It's a fortune that she can't understand what I just said" He then took another look to Gloria "Now I'm a little more sure of myself… maybe one day I will be able to tell her"

"Well, speaking of that…" Ramon started "I didn't tell you this… but we asked the chicas to teach Gloria Spanish too"

Mumble's eyes widened to their limit as he turned his gaze to Ramon. His heart almost stopped when he heard that. He began to sweat and to blush hardly. He felt like he was going to pass out in that same moment.

"You… did… WHAAAAT!"

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**The song that Mumble sings in this chapter is called "Mujer amante". Written by "Rata Blanca" is one of the most beautiful piece of music that my land have to offer. But maybe, it can be a bit bold for you.**

**I strongly recommend you that you hear it if you have the chance.**

**And I know… Is not a very good chapter, but it's what I could do.**

**Review and tell me what you think about it ;)**


	8. The monsters from beyond the ice

**Well, here is another chap XD**

**We are arriving to the end of this story :(**

**I thank everyone to accompany me until here and I hope you stay for the next 2 last chapters**

**IMPORTANT!: Please, thanks to MyWayWritter for giving me some ideas for this chap; without him, it would have taken much longer to finish it. Thanks again, my comrade ;)**

**Chapter 8: The monsters from beyond the ice**

"I didn't tell you this… but we asked the chicas to teach Gloria Spanish too"

"You… did… WHAAAAT!" Mumble exclaimed "Oh no! Tell me please that is some kind of joke. Please!"

"It's a joke!" Ramon said.

"Oh! Thanks to Guin!" Mumble sighed in relief, feeling a bit better.

"But I only said it because you asked it. It's actually not true, we did"

Mumble started feeling bad again. His heart was beating so fast that it seemed that it was going to jump out of his chest. His breathing started to became heavier.

The shouts of the crowd, the clapping of the fans, the flirtatious phrases that the female fans in the front were shouting to him, the incredible embarrassment that he felt due that song.

One thing was confessing himself to her. Another pretty different is literally throwing himself to her in front of an entire nation full of stranger.

He began to feel dizzy, his vision because a blur, his breathing began to slow down.

"I don't… I don't' feel very…" He said, before closing his eyes and passing out.

He felt the hit of the cold and hard floor and also several horror screams… and the voice of a worried Gloria shouting desperately his name before losing consciousness completely.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

The gentle caress of the morning breeze woke him up very early the next morning. He found himself sleeping on the same rock where Gloria slept when she was weak… with Gloria at his side. Without knowing why, he felt strangely uncomfortable there.

In any other moment of his life, he would be pleased to be in that position; but now, and after the show of last night, he really needed to be alone and think about what he was going to do now.

Slowly and quietly, he stood up and went out of the cave. Doing an incredible effort to not wake up anyone, he left Adelie-Land and started walking, without a particular direction in his mind. He only needed the silence of the frozen Antarctic tundra to clear up his mind.

He had wanted to tell the truth to Gloria all his life, why now that he did so (sort of) he felt so bad about it? Maybe the fact that he was forced to do so and it didn't come of his heart could explain it.

He walked and walked, even when he didn't know where he was going. Eventually, he reached the top of a huge ice formation. There he came up with an idea; the youngest part of him took over control of his body as he threw himself on his belly and went sliding down the hill. The wind caressing his feathers felt so relaxing. He used to go snow-sliding when he needed to think, it help him to clear up his mind; which with the events of the past weeks, it was very necessary.

He slid through the whole mountain, doing tricks and jumps along the way, laughing like a kind of immature schoolboy in his first race in the third year at Penguin Elementary… although Mumble ended 4th in his first race.

Eventually, the snow came to an end, just in the shore of the sea; up in a huge cliff of ice. He stayed stood there; watching the horizon, thinking…

"_It's true that I love Gloria?"_ That was the question that Mumble was trying to answer _"Or I'm confusing a good friendship with love? If only she could sing, everything would be easier. We'd sing, we'd see if our song fits and that's it! But we can't because she doesn't sing! Our traditions said that… I'm not sure… Geez, this is so complicated"_

A loud noise, emitted from far into the ocean, took the young penguin out of his thoughts. Mumble directed his gaze to the water, which was covered with a dense fog.

The shape of a long tail came in sight, very far from the coast, and seconds later, a huge creature emerge from the water: A very large blue fish of the size of a little glacier, with a tail large enough to break even the stronger ice. Thousand of gallon of water were expelled from the back of the creature, in a kind of great natural geyser.

The young penguin looked amazed at the majestic creature. He had heard stories of the ocean's titan, who rules the depths of the oceans. His mother told him once about seeing one of these creatures when she was in a fishing trip. They were pacific creatures, that didn't mess with anyone. The only creature that is threatened by this ocean's colossus was the krill, which was the only living being that was part of their menus. Due to their size, there was anything in the entire Antarctic continent's seas capable of facing them.

"It's beautiful, isn't it?" A white albatross said to Mumble, landing right in his side.

"Sure it is" Mumble answered "I have never seen one of those before"

"The Southern right whale…" The flying bird sighed "You better admire her now, because I don't know if you will be able to see another like her again in your life"

Mumble smiled and remained in silent, admiring the mighty creature.

"I'm Mumble, by the way" He introduced himself, after a few second of silence.

"Steve here" The Albatross replied.

"I haven't see any of your kind around here before"

"That's because I'm not from here, mate. My birth-place is very far from this frozen coast"

"So, why are you here?"

"She is my reason" The birds said, pointing to the whale and smiling "I'm in charge of that whale; it's my duty to protect her"

"Protect her? Of what? There is anything that can harm them. They are enormous!"

"You don't have seen what I did, pal" Steve said, while his smile faded "There are… things… thing that we can't understand. That can do horrors beyond the imagination. They are creatures born on the deepest of the nightmares"

"What kind of… creatures?" Mumble asked, a bit scared.

"Aliens... they came from distant shores too. There are legends… they said in the past, they were protector of the nature and they lived in peace with it… but one day, without reason, they began to hunt down everything in the sea and land. I have seen them! They destroy my home… my family… now; this whale is all I've got"

"How they can do such things?"

"They don't hunt like any creature like you have seen before. They don't have claws or beaks. They have strange devices that throw teeth to their prey and then, they wait until you lose blood to make you weaker; then they cut you while you are still alive and turn you into food" The albatross explained, scaring Mumlbe even more.

"It's horrible!"

"Yes, it is. That's why we came so close to the coast. Usually we don't come so near, but we had them behind our tails and she was tired; so I needed a place for her to rest"

"And you aren't worry about them coming here?"

"They wouldn't…" Steve tried to said, but was stopped by a intense cry coming of the whale.

When they directed their gaze back to her, she had two long black teeth (like black thick branches) buried in her back, with a kind of thick filament that was attached to their end.

From nowhere, a beam of light illuminated the animal through the fog. Shortly after, another one did the same. The ropes attached to the branches began to pull her in the direction of the lights, while the poor cetacean was shaking desperately trying to break free and emitting heart-breaking help screams. Unfortunately, these movements caused her to lose more and more blood, dyeing the sea with an intense crimson red.

"No… not her! Please! STOP!... NO! LEAVE HER ALONE!" The albatross screamed, before spreading his wing and starting flying toward the agonic whale.

Mumble was speechless while he witnessed the ugly scene. He couldn't believe what he was seeing! Totally impotent, he decided that the best thing that he could do was to return to Adelie-Land. There was no way that he could help the whale at that point and he really didn't want to watch the end of that story… he already knew it.

During his trip back to Adelie-Land, his brain began to work faster than normal, due to this new information. If these "Aliens" were able to kill a whale so fast and use it as food, it was very likely that the scarcity of fish also was caused by them.

"_What are those aliens? Why they are taking all the fish? Why I or any penguins have never seen them before? Why, if they hunt whales, they don't hunt penguins?... So many questions! _

Which this things in his mind, he didn't noticed that he had arrived to Adelie-Land and got into the cave.

"Mumble!" Gloria shouted as soon as she saw him, hugging him "I was worried about you. Where did you go?"

"I… went for a walk… I needed to think…" Mumble replied in a trembling voice, separating from Gloria.

"Hey socio! Esta usted bien? What did you need you think?"

"Yes I… I had some… questions I needed to answer"

"And you did?"

"Not really… I see something… that generate more questions"

"Well, if answers are all you seek, go see Lovelace"

"Lovelace?"

"Yes, Lovelace!"

Lovelace was an important character in Adelie-Land. He was a Rockhopper penguin who had arrived there along with his colony many years ago. When his colony left Adelie-Land, he decided to stay with the adelies. He was known as a wise penguin, always giving advises to everyone who wanted them… in exchange of a Lovestone.

The Lovestones were… well… that… a stone. One which, because it had spent years under water, it had obtained rounded shape and became free of burrs. Most of the year they were useless but, during the mating season, the males collect them to attract females. The more stones you have, the more females you will get.

It can sound that the adelies' females are materialistic (well, in part they are) but there is a reason for this. The female laid two eggs after the season and the male cannot keep both of them on their feet, so they have to build a nest and laid over them. The Lovestones are used to build the nest; so if the male collect many Lovestones, he can built a larger nest and the eggs have more possibilities of surviving. If the male don't have enough stones, it's very likely that he won't be able to take care of the eggs, and a woman won't bring a child to the world only to kill it.

Lovelace had a mountain of this stones (I'm not being literally, he actually had it) so he had many females' adelies drooling for him and despite being a sage he… well… because he wasn't an adelie penguin and couldn't actually make eggs with his pretenders; he had plenty of fun during the season.

So, after a short trip to the ocean in search of a Lovestone, Mumble went to see this Lovelace alone. He lived in a cave in the outside border of Adelie-Land. When he arrived, he impressed with the amount of stones that penguin had: the floor and the surroundings of the cave where flooded with them!

"Hello? Is anyone here?" He shouted from outside the cave, throwing the stone to the floor of it.

"Mumble Happy Feet! I was waiting for you" A voice said from inside. Second later a bit short and pretty fat Rockhopper penguin came in sight "I'm Lovelace, guru of this nation. I have heard many things about you, young emperor"

"And so do I, Lovelace"

"I have no doubt about it; but tell me, why do you come looking for advice?"

"I have seen thing that I never imagine I would… I need to know if they are true"

"You are talking of the aliens, right?"

"How do you…" Mumble tried to ask, very surprised, but was cut.

"I have seen them too. They came near here once a month. Today they will come again, actually"

"So, tell me! There is a way to stop those monsters from beyond the ice?"

"They are not monsters, Mumble boy. They just do what they are supposed to do: survive"

"But they are killing us in the process!"

"It's very probable that they don't even know that we are here; that's why they keep fishing our fish"

"Someone have to stop them!"

"And that someone is going to be you?"

"I…I…I don't…"

"As I imagine" The Rockhopper sighed "It's true that there is evil in their heart, but not in every one. Some of them are still in the good side… if only we could communicate with them"

"Have you tried at least?" Lovelace nodded.

"Many of us tried to follow their transports, but none has returned… and like the fish keep disappearing, we assumed that they failed"

Mumble remained in silence for a few seconds, thinking; before he finally spoke again.

"So, you say that if we make them know that we are here, they will stop taking our fish"

"In theory, yes"

"Well, I will do it!"

"You will, eh?" Lovelace asked, raising an eyebrow (if he had one) "And tell me, why would you do so?"

"Because it's my duty! I'm the future Patriarch of my colony! If I don't do it, I won't have a colony to rule!"

"Interesting… but there are another reason, right?"

"What do you mean?"

"That girl… Gloria"

"What's wrong with her?"

"I think that you are trying to impress her"

"WHAT? Why I would do such thing?" Mumble tried to lie.

"Don't fool me. Ramon already told me your entire story. It's obvious you love her"

"I don't!"

"It's strange" Lovelace giggled "Early this morning, when I was trying to court her, she denied and walked away, saying that she was yours and of nobody else"

"YOU TRIED TO DO WHAT!" Mumble yelled furiously.

"See?" Lovelace said "I told you a complete lie and you reacted like if she was your entire life's mate"

Mumble blushed hardly when he realized that Lovelace was right. As soon as he heard court and Gloria in the same statement, his heart filled with fury against this Rockhopper.

"So, you admit it?" Lovelace asked again.

"I don't have anything to admit! I already told you! We are just friends"

"The song you sang yesterday make me doubt about that"

"Look, I didn't mean anything what I said in that stupid song, ok?" Mumble said, raising his voice a little.

"But you…"

"NO! I nothing! The only reason why I sang it was because Ramon asked me to do so"

"So, it didn't come out of your heart?"

"Of course not! I would never say such things!"

"But you dedicated it to her!"

"No, I didn't! Ramon told you that but it's not true! Actually, he did!"

"I can't understand"

"Why is so hard to understand? We can't be together!"

"But why?" Lovelace insisted.

"BECAUSE SHE CAN'T SING!" Mumble yelled "That's why! The tradition says that you have to sing to find a mate. No song, no love! It's very simple! She can't sing, we can't be mates! Is it clear now? Or I have to tell you in Spanish too!"

Lovelace remained in silence for a few seconds, with his eyes widened in amazement, staring at the young emperor penguin. After a while, he shocked his head and sighed.

"Well Mumble, I have to tell you something. This morning, shortly before you returned, Gloria came here seeking for answers too" Lovelace said "She asked me if I could tell her the truth about you. I told her that I couldn't, but I could make you confess it"

"Well, what have that to do with the alien's business after all?"

"Nothing really, but… I thought that you would like to know… that she had been hearing all our conversation" Lovelace said, pointing to something behind Mumble.

"She what?" Mumble asked naively, turning around.

He froze in the moment he saw the young female emperor penguin staring at him with his beak opened and her eyes about to burst into tears. Her widened and cold eyes told to everyone that her heart had been broken, fixed and broken again.

Mumble was speechless. What he could say now?

"So…" She said, sobbing and doing her best to not crying "¿No song, no love?"

"Gloria, I…"

"No Mumble… not any more" She said, turning around and running away.

"No Gloria, wait!"

"Stay away from me!" She yelled in respond, dropping tears at each step and speeding up her pace.

Mumble didn't move a muscle. His heart was hurting so much that he wanted to take it out of his chest. But it was done; he couldn't fix it with a simple "sorry". He regretted each one of the words he said and with tears in his eyes, he turned around and walked toward the shore.

He knew that if he at least tried to apologies with Gloria, she eventually was going to forgive him; but he also knew that if he didn't stop the aliens, the colony was going to die of starvation. He had to choose between his happiness and the survival of the colony… and he chose option two. If he didn't find the Aliens that day, he didn't know if he could do so in the future.

Ramon and the Amigos were there too, witnessing the whole scene.

_"Te vas amor…" _Ramon began to sing to.

_Si así lo quieres, ¿Que puedo yo hacer?_

_Tu vanidad no te deja entender… que en la pobreza se sabe querer. _

_Pero recuerda: nadie es perfecto… y tu lo veras _

_Más de mil cosas mejores tendrás… _

¡Pero cariño sincero, jamás…!

By that time, both Gloria and Mumble were out of sight of the inhabitants of Adelie-Land.

Totally heartbroken, Mumble reached the coast a few minutes later and jumped into the water, swimming toward the open sea. Shortly after he crossed the coast's waters and he entered to the open ocean, he found a big school of fish that were swimming right toward him. This was very odd.

He darted toward them because he was really hungry. He had eaten anything since he left Emperor-Land along his school mates.

When he was close, he noticed that those fish weren't swimming normally; they were trying to escape of something and that something had to be really big to scare that amount of fish. He caught a fish and swallowed it immediately; but when he was about to catch a second one, he noticed that they were spinning around him.

From nowhere, strange t filaments tied to each other in squares forming a net wrapped the entire school of fish and Mumble with it. He felt like that ropes raised them out of the water. The fish began to shake desperately, wanting to come back to the ocean and breathe. Mumble was stuck between the ropes and the fish, totally immobilized.

His eyes couldn't believe what he was seeing. Up in a kind of long shining iceberg of strange colors, ranging from blue and red to black, white and several kinds of grey; there were three creepy biped creatures, way larger that penguin, covered with a fake orange skin; staring at him in amazement.

One of them told something to another, and this one got into their transport trough an opening in the surface. The others two remained there, whispering things to each other, smiling.

Soon, the third one came back, with a silver tube in his hands. He aimed it to Mumble and pressed a sort of trigger. Mumble heard a soft noise and a stabbing pain in his chest. He looked down and notice a small tube nailed to his chest. He felt like a kind of liquid spilled inside his body. He tried to move, but his feet didn't answer. His eyes began to wink unsteadily until they finally closed.

He felt that he and the fish were dropped in the alien's transport, and how one alien rise him with his hands and took the dart out. Doing an incredible effort, Mumble managed to open his eyes one last time, only o see a flaccid pink face staring at him. After that, he closed his eyes again and passed out.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**We all know that this going to happen sooner or later.**

**Happy Feet is not only a romantic, musical and cute film; but have a bit sorrow too and also a very important message.**

**I wanted to represent Lovelace like a kind of wise character, like Noah; instead of just a liar. It's make the story more interesting. Although it was a bit difficult to describe his relations with adelies' females in a gentle way XD**

**The albatross is a character that Steve Irwin starred, but the scene was (sadly) deleted. However, if you got an original DVD copy of the film, you surely have seen this scene too, because it's in the extras.**

**And, Claire Cooper, like you asked; here is my solution to the interest of Mumble in the aliens, you like it?**

**Well, review and tell me what you think about it XD**

**Read you soon!**


	9. Far but close

**Ok, the first version of this was totally awful. When I read what I wrote in this chapter, I was so angry with myself that I threw my netbook trough the window.**

**So now I did this second version of the chapter 9.**

**This is the penultimate chapter of the story, so next chapter will be the last one (Daaaah! ¬¬)**

**Again, I want to thank to everyone who read and review the story:**

**With 32 reviews, this is officially my most reviewed story so far! And also, with 1160 hits, this is my most viewed history too! Breaking my last record of 940 that I got in 4 month.**

**BUT this story got 1160 hits in only three weeks! It's my credit? Of course not! It's yours! **

**You made this story so great with yours reviews, tips and suggestions ;) you impulse me to keep on.**

**That are some of the motives why I couldn't leave you with the mediocre chapter that I had published.**

**Well, I'm stealing too much of your precious time, so I hope you like this new version of chapter 9.**

**Happy reading:**

**Chapter 9: Far but close (2nd version)**

After he passed out in the hands of that alien in the Antarctica, Mumble spent the next week jailed in a dark place. He guessed that he was in a kind of compartment inside the alien's transport; and indeed, he was there. After this week of traveling in the darkness of that machine, they reached a coast. Again, the same alien with the same silver tube came into the room where Mumble was; and then again, the alien shoot one of those darts that made Mumble fell unconscious.

This time, Mumble woke up in a very different place: although a little more warmer, he felt the cold wind caressing his feather. He opened his eyes and found himself in a little cave of ice. He studied his surrounding and noticed that everything was covered with snow. Outside the cave, he could hear voices of other penguins. Perhaps he… was in home again?

He was still a bit dizzy, but he managed to stand up and he slowly walked out of the cave. In the exterior, he found out two things: that he shared the place with a lot of penguin of different species: adelies, blue, chinstrap… but he was the only emperor penguin there; and that they were literally trapped in a box of a transparent material that prevent them to escape.

"Welcome…" A very young chinstrap penguin greeted to Mumble.

"Hi…" Mumble barely could speak; he was still a bit weak "Were… where are we?"

"We are in heaven, my tall friend"

"The heaven?"

"Yeap! Penguin heaven" The chick answered, while he nodded.

"Is it… near to... Emperor-Land"

"So, you are from Antarctica?"

"Yes, why? You don't?"

"Noup, I was born here"

"How? There are still three months to the mating season"

"Mating season? What is that?" Mumble understood immediately... he had blundered.

"Well… I… the season… ahg, how can I explain you?" He said, with trembling and nervous voice.

"Hey Jason! Where have you been?" A female adult chinstrap penguin said and walked to Jason and Mumble.

"Hi mum… hey what is mating, ma?" The chick asked innocently to his mother.

"Who told you that!" The female penguin shouted in surprise.

"Him" The chick said, pointing to Mumble. The mother directed her gaze to Mumble.

"How dare you!" She shouted to him angrily.

"No! No! Miss, let me explain! I…" He tried to explained, but was cut by a strong slap in the face that Jason's mother gave to him with her flipper. Mumble lost balance and fell on the floor.

"What I said about talking to strangers? Just wait until your father finds out! You'll be in so much troubles!" The mother shouted to her son, before walking away with him.

"Ok… confirmed… again: Guin hates me" Mumble said, standing up.

"Take it easy friend" An adult male Magellanic Penguin told to Mumble "Females are a bit nervous at this time of the year"

"You bet… ehm, excuse me but what is this place?"

"As the chick said, you are in heaven, Dave. Penguin heaven"

"And… is it anywhere near Emperor-Land?" Mumble asked, walking to the horizon.

"It's wherever you want it to be" Just then, Mumble crushed against the "horizon", realizing that it was just a picture in a wall "I wouldn't do that if I were you… they don't like it"

"They?" Mumble asked, recovering from the impact against the wall. The penguin pointed to a huge black crystal barrier that was just in front of them.

"They watch us from there…"

"Who? Who watch us? The aliens?"

"Yeah… you can't see them, but they can see you. If you cause troubles, they took you away"

"To where?"

"Nobody knows… nobody has return to say it" He said, walking away.

Mumble approaches to the crystal and started screaming.

"Hello! Excuse me but you are taking all our fish! You are killing us!" Forcing his eyes a little, he saw like several big figures from the other side of the crystal walked away from it "No! No! No! Wait! Listen to me! You are taking all our fish!" again, he distinghished some figures walking away "PLEASE! SOMEBODY! TALK TO ME! You are killing us! Stop taking our fish!"

Unknown to him, all that those strange creatures could hear coming out of his beak were loud and awful squawks and squeaks. Mumble began to get desperate, he shout and shout, trying to communicate with these aliens ... but never got an answer.

After two weeks shouting, he lost his voice… after two months of been locked up, he nearly lost his sanity. He denied to eat, so we was getting weaker and weaker thought the days.

In one of his last moments of lucidity, he began to reflect about his life… and the events that happened minutes before of his capture.

_I'm going to die… I failed to everyone… To my mom, to my dad, to Noah, to the entire nation!... but in the top of all… I failed to Gloria… I promised her that I was going to be her friend forever and, because of my stupid nerves and my wishes of being something more, I screw everything up! Why did I said that to Lovelace? Why I said that I didn't love her? I didn't… I didn't want…_

But while he was submerged in these sad thoughts, he came up with an idea. Not a good one but… it was better than nothing.

_My father said that this wasn't penguin. Maybe that's exactly what I need! A non-penguin communication way! I hope.. I really hope that this work. If not… I'm doomed._

Mumble gathered all the few energy that he had and started tapping his feet, and second later of begging, he saw a flash of light coming from the crytal. He began to tap faster and faster, and also to sing to himself to keep the rhythm.

_I don't need no tv  
I don't need no news  
All I need is a bumping beat  
To bump away my blues!_

"Come on Mumble, you can do it!" He told to himself. The flashes came from everywhere. At first, they were just a few, but now they were hundreds of flashes lighting the room. Mumble didn't know what they were… he only hoped that they meant something good.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**One month later:**

Strange creatures were gathered in a kind of cave of stone, but not a normal cave, this was different. It wasn't irregular like others, but perfectly square, with a large circular structure with seats for them.

It had walls of colors and these were decorated with images of different landscapes, animals or creatures like the ones who were gathered there, all of them were protected by a sort of invisible barrier, surrounded by a strange porous brown material.

These aliens creatures were not like other birds or mammal that any inhabitant of Antarctica had ever seen.

They were twice the high of an emperor penguin, without a single feather in their bodies. Big eyes, whose color varied from brown, green and blue to gray and orange-brown, in their flat and pink faces without beak, but with an odd skin structure above their mouth, which they used to breath.

The top of their heads were covered with filaments, some black and some brown… hair; and in their mouth, they had tinny white stones (some sharp, some not). They hadn't flippers, but long arms with fingers in their hands. These characteristic suggested that they maybe could be, somehow, related to the leopard seals and the elephant seals. Maybe they were mammals too.

Their bodies were covered with a kind of fake black skin, which made them look like a penguin actually. In these fake skins, in the chest's zone, they had ribbons of different colors and also a name, maybe the name of their place of birth.

In the centre of the hall where they were, there was a strange devise, which was showing images of a fluffy penguin dancing in an artificial habitat where he and many other penguin of different species were caged.

"This cannot be true" One of them said "Penguins do not do that… it is simply unnatural"

"This has to be fake! A simply joke!" Another of them said. This one had longer head filaments, was slightly smaller and had a softer voice. Maybe it was a female.

"It is true. I was in that Australian zoo the day that this happened" Another of them said.

"Why he is doing that?" The first in speak asked.

"We don't know. But what we know is that, according to the medical studies, this specimen had had dietary problems since he has a chick. We can say that he barely could reach his adult age"

"And, why is he still having his baby feathers?"

"That's something that we can't answer yet, maybe for the same reason: food scarcity during his childhood"

"The public have had a reaction almost immediately" Another female spoke "They want us to stop fishing in Antarctica"

"We can't do that!" Another of them said, this one had a similar accent to Mrs. Astrakhan "Think in all the money that my country could lost!"

"But it is what we must do, Sergei! We are causing too much damage to the Antarctic environment. If we don't stop it now, it will be irreversible"

"They are just a bunch of stupid birds in the end of the world! Why should we do somethink?"

"Agreed, we shouldn't do anything. But still, I think that the scientific community of my country would be very interested in having that rare specimen of penguin in his collection of stuffed animals"

"We will not kill that penguin!" Another of them shouted, offended.

"It's not killing him, it sacrifice him in the name of science"

"Your science can fu…"

"Gentlemen, calm down!" One of them, much older than the other, shouted "We will release this penguin. We need him to show us his colony. When we find it, we can study more specimens closely and reach a conclusion of what to do. No sacrifices…" He said, pointing to the one who had proposed that "… And no foul language in this place, ok?" He said, pointing to the other. Everyone in that hall nodded or said that he or she was in agreed "Dismiss" Everyone greeted each other and left the room. Before they left, they were asked to sign a paper and almost everyone did so.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Two days later, a few kilometers from the Antarctic shore:**

A small boat was patrolling the area with two humans on boar. One of them was using a pair of binoculars to study the coast and the water nearby and the other was in the cabin, driving the boat.

"Stop here" The man with the binoculars shouted to the other, who immediately turned off the engine, walked outside the cabin and approached to his partner "I think that the area is safe enough to release our dancing friend"

"Ok, let's finish with this"

They went back into the cabin and, after a few minutes, they came outside again, carring what's appeared to be a big box, covered with a blanket.

"When do you think we will find him once we release him?"

"Well, the research team will leave the base of Tierra del Fuego tomorrow. If everything goes according to the plan, they will reach Antarctica and find the colony of our friend in three or four days" He explained, as he removed the blanket, revealing a cage with an adult fluffy feathered emperor penguin "Do you want to have the honors, Marcos?" His friend nodded, with a very big smile in his face.

He put his hand on the cage's gate, took off the lock and opened it.

"Well big boy, welcome back home!"

The penguin squawked happily and walked to the border of the boat. He turned around and made some tip-taping for the humans. Big smiles appeared in their pink and naked faces. The penguin squawked again and jumped into the water.

The humans watched him until he reached the coast, then they turned on the engine and began the journey back to their home.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

"Noah!" The watcher of the colony shouted "Sir, come quickly!"

"What's happen?" The raspy voice of the Elder responded.

"I think… I think I see a penguin coming here" The watcher said "An emperor penguin" He added.

"That's cannot be! We have no fishing parties today"

"Sir… I think is Mumble!" Noah's eyes widened. He didn't wait a single word more. He simply began to run down the altar (Not very fast actually, due his age)

The entire nation gathered to welcome the young emperor that had been disappeared for nearly three months. His parent were the first in greeting him.

"Mumble!" Norma Jean shouted.

"Mama!" He shouted in respond, hugging his mother.

"My boy!" His father added, joining to the hug.

"Where have you being?"

"If I tell you, you wouldn't believe me, ma. But I found out what is happening to the fish!"

"Mumble Happy Feet has returned" Noah said, coming out of the crowd.

"Sir" Mumble said, doing a reverence.

"No formalities, please. If what you say is correct, then maybe I should do a reverence to you"

"It is, sir. But I can't explain you. Give me three days and you will understand and… wait… where… where is Gloria? Gloria! Please, I'm sorry! Gloria" Mumble shouted to the crowd, hopping that Gloria would came out of it and greeted him… but he didn't.

"Well Mumble, about that…" Noah tried to explain. Mumble directed his gaze to the nervous Elder.

"Please, don't tell me that you did what I'm thinking"

"Mumble, you are aware of her condition… and this night the mating ritual begins… and, well it's obvious that she didn't…"

"I've got to find her!" Mumble shouted, without paying attention to what Noah was saying, and running toward the exit of the territory.

"Mumble wait! Son, come here now!" Memphis shouted, but Mumble ignored him. He tried to follow his son, but was stopped by Norma Jean.

"If you don't want to sleep alone tonight, you will let him go" Norma Jean said with a voice very threatening.

"Ok…" Memphis sighed… a bit scared.

Mumble soon reached the border of the territory and began to slide down the hills on his belly. He needed to find Gloria… that night.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**Much better than the first version, right?**

**Read you soon!**


	10. What it's supposed to be done

**Chapter 10: What it's supposed to be done**

During the three month that Mumble was absent, a lot of things had changed in the colony. Without him to protect her, Gloria was victim of bullying every day. What is more, her school mates blame her for the Mumble disappearing and also for the fish scarcity.

Noah had asked Gloria to leave the territory during mating season (Which had already began). It was obvious that she didn't going to get a mate, so if she stayed, she would be a hassle for everyone…. And also, there were many penguins that still blamed her for the scarcity of fish.

She walked out of the territory until she reached an ice mountain formation, not very far actually. There, she found a cave to spend the night; but she wasn't tired yet, so she stood outside the cave, staring the horizon.

"Gloria? Are you here?" That voice… his voice… It couldn't be!... why she was happy to hear that voice?

"Mumble?" She turned around and exclaim, with a great smiled that soon faded "So you came back. What are you doing here" with clear sadness in her voice.

"Well, I thought that now I finally was able to come back home, I could spend some time with my best friend"

That word again! But… this time it felt different… like if something inside Mumble had changed during the time he was gone. The feelings that Mumble was expressing this time were not the same that always.

Gloria turned to face Mumble.

"But… and the mating ritual? Aren't you going to try at least?"

"No… I don't going to participate in the ritual"

"Why not? You have a perfect voice; you could have any of the girl. Roxanne is very interested in you, by the way"

"That's her problem, not mine" He answered smiling.

"Well, Marian is also interested in you"

"I don't care"

"And how about…"

"No, I don't want any of them. None of them will receive even a smile from me tonight"

Gloria's face turned into an expression of confusion, but then changed to anger.

"How can you say that? How can you be so heartless?" Gloria yelled, but Mumble remained calm "Just because you can sing pretty well and because you are a bit handsome you think that you are irresistible? That you are the king of the world? That nobody is worthy of you? That you can play with the other people's feelings? That…?"

"No Gloria" Mumble cut "The only reason why I don't want to participate in the mating ritual is because I don't need to"

"What?" Gloria asked, with a very puzzled face.

"I don't want any of the girl that there are singing today because I've already chosen the girl I want to spend the rest of my live. The girl that I would never get tired of seen her by my side. The girl that will wake up in my flipper every day. And I didn't have to sing to realize that I wanted a life with her" He said "I was blind… I didn't want to accept it, but not anymore. And tonight I'm going to ask her to be my mate"

Gloria automatically felt bad for what she had said. She had treated Mumble as if he was some kind of Casanova penguin, although that she knew that he wasn't. But also, she felt sad, because Mumble had found his someone special.

"I'm sorry, Mumble. I think I overreacted. I know you would be a great mate to that girl"

"Well, thank you Gloria"

"You are welcome" Gloria said, forcing a smile but about to cry due the recent new "I hope you don't mind but what is her name? I want to congratulate her for getting such a great mate as you"

"Well Gloria, I think you know her. The penguin who I want to spend my life with, It's the same that yelled to me a few minutes ago and now is staring me with a sad face, I only hope that she likes me as well"

Gloria was left speechless. His heart began to race. Her eyes widened and her breathing became heavy. Her ears could not believe what she just heard.

"You are referring to… me?"

Mumble nodded. He took a deep breath and opened his beak, moving closer to Gloria

"I remember a song… that Ramon sang when he found out… something like:

_Prohibido nuestro amor ¿Y qué?  
Nos van a lapidar ¿Y qué?  
Los sueños que vivimos pueden más  
Que lo que digan todos los demás._

Prohibida esta pación ¿Y qué?  
Los dos sabemos… el porqué  
Peor es no saber tener  
Por un amor… en carne viva el corazón.

Mumble finished his song with Gloria in his flipper and looking straight into her brown eyes.

"Oh Mumble! Do you mean it?"

"Every… single… word. I love you, Gloria, and anyone else. As I said, I was blind. I told you for years that you shouldn't mind what other said, and I was doing it. Forgive me Gloria… for all the suffering that I caused to you… but I love you! I will do anything"

Gloria just couldn't believe it: Mumble, her best friend, the guy who she secretly loved since they were chick, no matter if she was different; was prepared to ruin his life and his position in the colony, just to be with her? It's was the most beautiful thing that anyone had ever told to her… but she couldn't allow it.

She could not allow Mumble did that for her. She would have to think how to make Mumble change his mind before it was too late. She loved him, but she wasn't selfish.

Mumble started to approach his neck to Gloria's one, for the penguin version of a kiss. But when there were only a few centimeters from each other, Gloria pushed Mumble quickly, breaking the hug.

"No Mumble, this isn't right" She said.

"Why?" Asked Mumble puzzled "I thought you…"

"Because you have a beautiful life in the colony, and due to your Ancient legacy, you can enter the council too. Do you want to ruin all of that, just for me?"

"Gloria, a long time ago I realized that without you, I have no life... And you know what? The council can go to catch clams"

"But Mumble, what do your friends will said about you when they see you with a phenomenon like me? A penguin who can't sing!"

"They will not say anything…" Answered the fluffy penguin "…And if they do, it's because they are not friends at all. And second: You are not a phenomenon; you're the most beautiful, charming and kind heart penguin that I have ever met"

"But Mumble, be realistic. How do we going to take care of an egg?" Mumble's eyes widened, but smiling; Glory blushed immediately after finishing her question. Trying to hide it, she tried to look away but she couldn't "I mean… if we… ever… have one…" She said, very sheepishly.

"Well Gloria, if it is that what concern you, don't worry because I don't need an egg to be happy. I only need you by my side"

"Yeah, sure. You say that now, but when all your friends have eggs, what would you do?"

"Well, when all of them have their eggs, I'll stand in front of all of them with a large fish in my beak, I'll swallow it and say 'It's doing a really great day to go fishing and to stretch the legs! Don't you think boys?' And then, I'll proceed to sleep safe and warn in a cave, while they freeze their tails out there" He joked.

Gloria stared into his eyes, shocked; but seconds later she started to giggle, which eventually became a long laugh. Mumble join into the laugh too.

"Mumble, you can be a bit cruel sometimes, you know?" She said, shaking off the tears that were falling of her eyes, due too much laughing. Soon her face changed again, turning into a concern one "But, you are not worry about Noah? He could banish you too"

"He will not banish me… and if he does, as long as I have you by my side, I wouldn't mind"

It was amazing how strong the feelings of Mumble were. It seemed that he didn't care anything, except being with her. But Gloria was determined to protect him… even if she had to hurt him in the process.

"You stupid… stubborn… fool! You think It's funny, don't you? You think you can have anything you want, don't you?" She shouted to him angrily.

"What!" Asked a very surprised Mumble, due the sudden chance of humor of Gloria

"Do you think I don't know what you're trying to do? You're just playing with me! Again! Like you always did!" She said angrily, but his voice change to sad "You speak to me with that sweet voice. You say you love me ... but It's not true. If I accept to mate with you tonight, tomorrow you'll abandon me ... and you'll look for another girl… probably a good singer"

Mumble remained silent for a few seconds with surprise in his face, but soon that surprised face changed to a furious one.

"That's the idea you have of me, your best friend, the guy who always was at your side despite of your differences! I went to the end of the world Gloria! I faced the creatures that were taking our fish! I ALMOST DIED! Do you think that I did it for the colony? I DID IT FOR YOU! And still you think I'm a kind of ladiesman? Well let me tell you something ..." He yelled furiously, rising a flipper.

Gloria was shocked at the reaction of Mumble. She wanted him to go away, not to anger him.

"Please don't hurt me!" She implored, closing his eyes and waiting for the slap in her face. But it didn't come.

Instead, she felt the soft touch of Mumble's flipper caressing the side of her face. She opened her eyes and he was smiling to her… as always.

Mumble wanted to punch Gloria in that moment, but then he realized that… it was true. He had being playing with her all this time. He was the bad guy, not Gloria; and then another idea came to his mind… he knew why Gloria was trying to drive him away.

"I'll never hurt you" He said.

"But…you are… you are not mad with me?" She asked, still a little frightened.

"Well Gloria, as you said: I'm stupid, I'm fool and I'm definitively stubborn. But there is something that I'm not: I'm not blind" He said with a comforting voice "I know what you are trying to do. You want me to run away from you because you don't want me to ruin my position in the colony. Right?"

"But… how did you…"

"Gloria, I love you. If you really want me to go, I will; but only if you came close to me, grab my flipper, look at my eyes and tell me 'Mumble, I don't love you' If you do so, I promise I will leave and you will never see me again"

Gloria thought for a moment, walked toward Mumble, put a flipper on a Mumble's one, gulped and opened her beak.

"Mumble…" She said unsteadily "I… I don't… I don't love…" But before she finished her sentence, she took another look at the eyes of Mumble… those beep blue eyes ... the eyes of the boy who always accompany and support her, even when others abandoned her.

Those memories of those beautiful moments together, returned suddenly to her mind. She lowered her head, and her brown eyes began to moisten until they finally began to drop tears.

"Gloria, are you ok?" Mumble asked.

She threw herself to Mumble's flippers, cuddling him with her flippers.

"I CAN'T SAY IT!" She said crying "I love you Mumble! I LOVE YOU!"

"If you do, why you didn't tell me before? Why did you act like that? Why are you so worried?"

"I sent you clues…"

"I didn't get them. You should have told me directly… when we were in the glacier and when we were in Adelie-Land I tried to tell you but… I was nervous and… I was always interrupted… and then… then that incident with Lovelace's conversation. Gloria I'm sorry, I didn't mean that… the song was true"

"I know Mumble… I always knew" She said.

"But, why did you run away?"

"Because it's true! That day I realized that it's true! Maybe you hurt me a bit but you also helped me to realize that we can't be together… I can't sing!... the other… would spoke… of you" She answered sobbing.

"Gloria, this is the third time I say this today: I love you and I don't care at all what the other say about me"

With his flipper, he removed the tears from Gloria's face. She raised her head a little and looked straight to Mumble's eyes.

"I don't know if I told you this before, but you are very cute when you are worried" Mumble told to her. Gloria drew a little smile in her face. Mumble approach his beak to her ear "What I didn't tell you because I realized now is that when you smiled… you are precious" He whispered, causing that Gloria's little smile became in a huge one.

Suddenly, she stretched her neck a little and started to rub it against Mumble's neck slowly, taking him by surprise. When he reacted, he did the same. They started to feel the smell of each other's body invading them, the soft and warn touch of their feather making contact. They could hear the heart of each other speeding up.

Both accelerated the rubbing their necks and also began to rub their chest and caress the feather of each other with their flippers. The feeling was amazing! They didn't want it to end.

After a few seconds they stopped and, breathing heavily, they rested their head on the shoulder of the other.

Mumble began to preen the feathers of the Gloria's back-neck playfully, while she giggled.

"Thank you, Mumble" She whispered to him.

"You are welcome… my love"

_My love…_ how long had she waited to hear those words come out from the beak of Mumble? It didn't matter, it had happened and she couldn't be happier.

While she was there, in the warm embrace with her entire life's love, her hormones became crazy. Her mind began to have some thoughts… some private thoughts. She blushed immediately when she realized what she was thinking, but she also realized that they weren't bad at all. They were completely natural… families are natural in everybody's life.

And after all, it was mating season! There is a reason why it's called like that.

"Mumble…"

"Yes honey?"

"Do you still think that you don't need to have eggs?"

"Why do you ask?" He asked naively.

"Because now... I kind of… want one… with you…"

Mumble's eyes widened as he moved his head back. The once sweet and innocent Gloria was staring at him with a very flirtatious smile. He didn't have to answer, a smile was enough.

Gloria approached his beak to Mumble's ear and whispered something that made him smile and blush at the same time. Then she walked inside the ice cave, closely followed by Mumble. There, they could have privacy from prying eyes… and do what it's supposed to be done during the season.

**( - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - - -)**

**And with that, my fishy readers, we reached the final of this story, BUT not of the fic… :/ **

**You maybe are thinking: WTF!**

**Well, you will have to wait a little more to understand what I mean XD**

**Thank you to everyone who read and review this story! I have to confess that when I signed up in this web, I never imagined that I would ever write a Happy Feet fic... and here it is ^^**

**I really hope you don't consider this too much sassy… well; actually it is but… come on! It's mating season! Believe me, I could do it really, really worse XD**

**Well, goodbye for now**

**Read you soon ;)**


	11. Epilogue

**Hello for last time in this story, my fishy people!**

**Here I am, in the last update of this story.**

**The real ending of the story was the chapter 10. You didn't see it but, there was a… special scene there that was deleted due the ranking of the story… but it has nothing to do with this.**

**This, my friend, is a result of something that crossed my mind while I was doing the fic.**

**You see, I didn't like Happy Feet 2 very much. It's not a bad film, but I prefer the first.**

**But there is something that I love of HF2: Bo. I LOVE THAT PENGUIN! She is cute, charismatic, intelligent and totally fearless. And what I love more of the film, is her relationship with Erik.**

**That's made me thought that maybe I could do a Re-make of HF2 too!**

**But, after much consideration, I disposed the idea. Its need a lot of work and time (because the plot itself doesn't offer any help) so it's very unlikely that I ever make a sequel.**

**BUT, I still wanted to try something using them… so this is what I could do.**

**It's just… something to remember me until we meet again.**

**Epilogue: Something to remember me**

The mating season had passed… one month had passed… two… and finally three.

It'… the couples would finally reunited again. For one proud father, it was the happiest day of his life.

Mumble Happy Feet… the best singer… the most wanted male… and the mate of a song-less penguin… but it didn't matter. He was happy, and he had all he wanted: Gloria and his son.

Like his father did five years ago, he, along all the males of his generation, gathered in the border of the territory, waiting for their mates.

"Pa?" A soft voice called from between his feet. He bowed his neck in order to see better his chick

"Yes Erik?"

"How will I know which one is my mama?"

Remember of him as a kid came back to his mind. A huge smiled appeared in his face.

"Believe me… you will know" He simply answered.

Erik, Mumble's son, had born a day after the others penguins of his generation. He had blue eyes, just like his father, and he was half the height than the other chicks.

"Hey, Mumble!" A quite old voice called Mumble. Soon, another male came out of the crowd and stoop at the left of Mumble.

"Professor McGregor?" Mumble asked. The Professor Arthur Jonas McGregor was the swimming teacher of Penguin Elementary. He had been teaching in the colony for quite long time: he was the teacher of Memphis and Norma Jean's parents! "What are you doing here? Aren't you supposed to be with the other teachers preparing the class rooms for the chicks?"

"I quitted" He replied.

"You what! Why?"

"I fell in love, Mumble" The old penguin answered, smiling "What can I say? After fifteen years of trying, I finally found the right song"

"Congratulations Professor!" Mumble said "And who is the lucky one?"

"Miss Viola" Arthur answered.

"No way!"

"Yes! Our meeting was just… magic! I don't know what happened. We know each other since the day we born and… only now we realized that we were destined to be together"

"I'm very glad for you, Professor" Mumble replied "So… where is your chick" Mumble asked, noticing that Arthur didn't have his chick in his feet.

"I don't know. Probably waiting for Viola, a few meter ahead. And yours?"

"Here" Mumble answered, pointing at his feet "Erik, come here and say hello to your papa's teacher"

Erik slowly got off Mumble's feet, and shyly walked toward Professor McGregor.

"Hi mister" Erik greeted.

"Hi, little fellow. You certainly are your pa's son; those lovely blue eyes give you away"

"Thanks" Erik shyly said.

"Hey, son!" Mumble said, smiling "While we are talking, why don't you go and find Professor McGregor's chick. It's important to make friends"

"Are… are you sure pa?"

"Of course I am! But as soon as you hear the signal, you come back here, ok?"

"Ok, pa!" Erik said, turning around and starting running toward… well, actually he didn't know where he was going, so he run toward the horizon.

He was concentrated in the hurry of meeting the McGregor's son or daughter that he didn't noticed that there were a little gradient on his way, and he fell for it… but he didn't felt any pain; actually, he landed in a soft thing

When he opened his eyes and looked down, he realized in what he had just landed. The other chick was laying with his/her belly on the floor, and Erik was on the top of the rear zone of him/her.

"Sorry… I… I slipped" He quickly tried to apologies.

"No problem" The other chick said. The soft voice told Erik that the chick was a female "But, I think we should know each other better before doing this, you know?" She joked.

Erik immediately got off her, very blushed and embarrassed. He looked like a feathered tomato!

"Sorry..." He tried to apologies again "I didn't… I didn't… I… I didn't mean to…" He was so worried of, somehow, had hurt the girl's feeling that he couldn't speak properly. He desperately wanted to apologies.

The girl stood up and turned to Erik.

"Hey, don't worry. I know it was an accident" She said.

"But… but… you said…"

"What? That thing? It's just a joke I don't even know what that mean! I heard it once from a conversation between two adults" She explained, smiling.

Erik remained in silence, with his head between his shoulders, still very embarrassed. Then, the girl realized that Erik had something different, something that the others chicks didn't have: Blue eyes… deep blue eyes.

"Woao!" She exclaimed "You have pretty eyes"

"I… I … ehm… I… thank you. You are… you are pretty too" He softly said, smiling. The girl was now who blushed.

Erik was feeling something special with this girl. It was like if he wanted to be with her… all his life… wasn't he very young to fell that?

"Oh… thank you" She approached to him and looked at him closely "Aren't you a little tinny to be a boy?"

Erik's smile faded. He dropped his gaze to the floor.

"You… you think I'm… I'm weird?" He asked.

"No… of course not" She answered; Erik raised his head again and stared at her "It's kind of cute… I think I like yo… I mean, I like it" Erik blushed so hard that he almost molt the ice under his feet. The girl also blushed very hard. She really wanted to say the first thing "By the way, what is your name?" She added, trying to change the subject.

"I'm Erik" He said, feeling a lot more confident with his new friend.

Since he met this girl, Erik was felling how something was growing up in his chest. Something special…

"Hi Erik, I'm Boadicea"

He was still very young to understand it yet, but what was growing inside him, wasn't friendship… it was something more. And his next words confirmed it.

"Boadicea…" He repeated "Its suit you perfectly"

"Why do you say so?" Boadicea asked, puzzled.

"Because only a beautiful penguin can have so beautiful name" His heart took control over his body and his voice. He was saying everything what he thought.

Boadicea was left speechless. Although she actually kind of liked Erik, she didn't expect that compliment from him now.

Since she saw him, deep in her chest, something started to grow, and like Erik, it wasn't friendship. With those words, her feeling got stronger… but still, she was way too young to understand what she was feeling.

"Thank… you… but I… I think it's… kind of long" She said, dissimulating the huge blushing that she got after hearing Erik's compliment.

"Well, if you like, I can call you… Bo"

"Bo… Bo… Bo" Boadicea repeated "I love it! Thanks Erik" She exclaimed.

"You are welcome"

Just then, like a kind of irony to ruin the moment (Or maybe, to turn it better), a cold wind began to blow. Erik began to shiver. Despite being male, his short size didn't help him against the weather.

"Erik, are you ok? Are you cold?" Bo asked, concerned and realizing the state of Erik. He nodded, shyly. For some reason, Erik didn't want to show weakness in front of Bo "Me too, it's freezing out here"

"We should… get closer" Erik suggested, timidly; wining a shocked face from Bo "That way we can warm each other" He explained.

"Ehm… ok" She answered.

They walked to each other and when they were close enough, Boadicea grabbed Erik and squeezed him against her body. Erik first hesitated, but finally wrapped her with his little flippers. Bo did the same. It was a very cute image: they were there, hugging each other… and he barely reached her neck!

"You know…" Bo said, giggling "Supposedly, the male is the one who have to keep warm to his girl" She said, referring to the fact that, although she was warm too; technically she was the one who was protecting the little Erik from the cold, and it was supposed to be in the other way **(Reasons explained in chapter 2)**

"I'm sorry… I wish I…" Erik tried to answer, a bit ashamed; but he stooped his statement when he realized something that Bo had just said "To… to… to hi… to his girl!" He said, looking up to Bo's face. The direct gaze of her lovely brown eyes looking straight to him made him blushed immediately. She only smiled and giggled, but soon she stopped and looked at him seriously.

"Well, Erik, I… I don't know how to say this but… since we… you… I… I think I… kind of… like … like yo…" She tried to say, extremely nervous, but her sentence was cut.

"WIVES HO!" The raspy voice of Noah spread across the entire valley, as it had done it every season. Erik scared a bit if this suddenly sound.

"What… what was that?" He asked, hugging Bo tightly.

"It was Noah! The signal! Erik, our mothers are coming!"

"REALLY?"

"Yeah! Aren't you happy?"

Now that he thought it, he wasn't. He didn't want to get away from Bo.

"Actually I…"

_Eeyyyoooaaaadliiioooooo! _A strange soundechoed in the air.

"Eeyyyoooaaaadleeeeeeoooooo!" Boadicea shouted in respond, breaking the hug with Erik.

"What was that?" Erik asked puzzled.

"It was my mama!" Bo answered "I have to go Erik, I want to meet my mama!" She added, but was stopped by Erik's flipper.

"Wait!" He said. Bo turned around to face him "Will I see you again?" He sadly asked.

"Of course you will!" She answered, smiling.

"But when?" Bo smile faded.

"I think that… probably not until school… in four months" She said, also a bit sad. She didn't want to go away from Erik too.

"I will miss you much" He said, dropping his gaze to the floor.

Bo remained in silent for a few seconds, thinking. She turned back to see if someone was watching and, after making sure that no; she raised Erik's face with her flipper until their eyes met again.

"Erik" She said "Before I go, I would like to give you something to remember me"

"What?" he asked, naively.

"This…" Without saying anything more, she stretched her neck and started to rub it slowly and lovingly against Erik's neck, who was stunned at the action of his friend, but he soon relaxed. It felt so good... he didn't want it to end. An internal voice told Erik to do the same, so he stretched his neck and rub it against Bo's.

They could feel the essence of each other in their noses… the warm of their bodies… the sound of their heart… It was just magic.

After five seconds, which seemed like hours, the chicks stopped; and breathing heavily, they rested their forehead against the other's one, staring directly to their eyes.

"Bye, Erik…" Bo said. Without giving Erik any chance to say something, she ran away, at an incredible speed for been a penguin's chick; disappearing in the sea of incoming females.

Erik didn't move a muscle… he wanted to run after her, but he couldn't. He was just frozen; he didn't know what had just happened. He only knew that he had liked it, not only the kiss, but every moment he spent whit that girl. Perhaps ... that thing which was growing up in his chest ... maybe… maybe it was…?

Nah! It couldn't be that! He was very young to have that kind of feelings… but still it was something much stronger that a simply friendship.

"Erik?" Mumble's voice called the little boy. Erik immediately went out of his trance and looked up. His father was staring at him, very concerned "Son, are you ok?"

"Aja…" Was everything what he was able to say. He climbed up to where his father was and got on his feet, still in silence.

Mumble started to look for his mate, when Erik finally spoke.

"Pa?"

"Yes, Erik?"

"I'm feeling weird"

"Weird!" Mumble started to worry "Weird how? Are you hurt? Want to vomit?"

"No… It's something related with Bo"

"Bo? Who is Bo?"

"Your friend's daughter… the chick I met today"

"What's wrong with her?"

"Nothing is wrong with her, but with me" Mumble stared at his son, puzzled "Since I met her… since I heard her voice… since I saw that eyes I just… I just can't stop thinking in her… I want to be close to her. I don't know. I have a feeling inside me but… I don't know what it is"

A very huge smiled appeared in Mumble's face. He knew exactly what was happening to his son. After all, he started to feel the same around his age.

"I know how to call it" Mumble said "I know what are you feeling son, and its make me very happy, because it's the most beautiful thing that can happen to a penguin"

"What it is, pa?" Erik asked, jumping off his father's feet.

"Mumble!" A female voice called from a close distance. Soon, Gloria came out of the crowd and rushed toward them.

Mumble approached his beak to Erik's ear.

"Love…" He whispered. After that, he left Erik there to think and went to greet Gloria.

Erik remained there, in silence and shocked, thinking. He never had thought about love… but with Bo…

Who knows? Maybe his father was right. Perhaps the Great Guin had already sealed their fate ... maybe they were meant to be together.

Erik watched his parents rubbing their necks lovingly, crossing their beaks, preening each other; as he was imagining that, maybe, in the future; he and Bo would do the same… well, they had already started.

**Read you soon…**


End file.
